The Rules Of Attraction
by julian bb
Summary: He's the brooding a** who can't keep his pants on. She's the notorious party girl every guy dreams about. And there's his raven-haired brother who has that annoying habit of undressing her with his blue eyes...life at Duke University is complicated.
1. Hard To Resist

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: I know I haven't updated my other story in forever, but until I can actually figure out where I want it to go I can't finish it (I seem to be in a serious writing rut lately, my life's gone to shit). And until then, this is my new baby. OH! This is un-beta-ed, so it goes from my head to your PC (excuse the typos, I'll fix 'em later).**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Hard To Resist_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

There was something about him.

The obnoxious Mohawk and the Axe pomade he used to spike it, that stupid Polo cologne, the way those Calvin Klein boxer briefs looked on him, the taste of Patrón on his tongue from those shots he was knocking back earlier, the waves of electricity he sent down her spine every time he touched her skin…

Something made him hard to resist.

But that didn't mean she didn't try. She was Brooke Davis, making him work for it was part of her job description… Making him fume? Well, that was just an added benefit.

She knew all this as she flirted with one of the Phi Delta Theta Pledges, one of _his_ Pledges. They'd never been into going public or, god forbid, _dating_. As a result, none of the guys knew she was off limits.

"You have very lick-able freckles." whispered the guy to her matter-of-factly.

Brooke let out a flirtatious giggle, "Wanna taste?" she asked coolly as she tossed her hair back to expose her naked shoulder, "Just a kiss."

The guy grinned and leaned down to suck on her shoulder. As if reading his mind, Brooke grabbed his hair and carefully pulled him off. "No biting." She said, and with a wink added, "_Yet_."

"O'Toole!" snarled the seething blonde walking over to them.

The Pledge gave nod, "'Sup, Luke?" he asked casually, the beer making him far too mellow. A low guttural growl came from deep within the blonde's throat and sent him into a slightly panicked stated. "Sorry, Luc_as_." he amended as he nervously cleared his throat.

"Hadley's off. You're on keg duty." Luke informed with a glare. "_Move_!"

The Pledge wasted no time in running off towards the kegs. Brooke scoffed and focused her hazel orbs on Luke's blue ones. "Real mature, Scott."

"Slumming it, Davis?" he questioned with a cocked eyebrow, "O'Toole's a _tool_, and a freshman. My oh my how the mighty seem to have fallen."

"Jealous?" she questioned ignoring his comments.

He rolled his eyes, "Nothing I haven't had before." He said scanning her body and unconsciously licking his lips as he ran his index finger along her cleavage, "Or couldn't have again if I wanted it."

Brooke playfully hooked her fingers through his belt loops and pulled him against her body. His free hands roamed to her ass and, when he noticed she wasn't wearing any underwear, he got instantly hard.

The impulse was too hard to resist so he gave into it, cradling the back of her head, his hands tangled up in her cascade of chocolate locks as he hungrily delved his tongue into her mouth. Normally that would be too public for them, but this was the first Phi Delt party of the year and everyone was too busy trying to get laid to focus on what anybody else was doing.

Brooke, however, pulled back. Appearances, she knew, where of the utmost importance. "Upstairs." She instructed, "Your room empty?"

-xx-

As soon as the bedroom door slammed shut behind them Brooke jumped on him, wrapping her long legs tightly around his lean waist. Luke led them to the bed and positioned himself on top. Luke Scott _never_ relinquished control.

He ran his hands up from her ass to the clasp of her bra, which he immediately unhooked. "Desperate for attention?" he questioned into her ear as he nibbled on it, "Is_ that_ what you were doing with O'Toole?"

She threw her head back and let out an involuntary moan when he found that sensitive spot on her neck. "I don't need attention." She said, her breath hitching, "But I seem to get yours easily enough."

He bit down on her shoulder, definitely leaving a mark. She liked it, Luke had an expert mouth, but she hated it when he tried to brand her. Her small hands gripped his strong shoulder blades and then she clawed her nails down his back.

Luke arched his back in pain. "That _hurt_." He growled, scowling down at her.

Brooke rolled them over so she was on top of him. "_Good_." She growled, scowling back at him.

Their eyes met again and they held each other's gaze for a few seconds. Everything was a contest with them. Including sex. This was going to be a long night…just how they liked it.

-xx-

**Monday  
Great Hall  
Duke University**

Next day, the noise bounced off the walls of the overly crowded Duke University Great Hall. Chatter and whispers filled the room as hungover students carried their food trays to whatever table had an open spot. The table in the middle of the lunchroom was filled by a multitude of blue letterman jackets and jerseys.

The Duke Blue Devils Cheer Squad and the majority of the Basketball Team were at the table. As usual, all eyes were on the gorgeous brunette cheer squad captain Brooke Davis.

She was sitting next to her best friend and roommate, Haley James.

"Brooke, where did you disappear to last night?" questioned Haley as she gently nudged her friend, "Jay and I looked for you, but you were gone. Did you ever make it back to the apartment?"

Brooke shook her head, "No, I slept at a friend's place." she said shrugging, "Thought you and Jakey would enjoy having the apartment all to yourselves."

Haley knew her friend well. Brooke had no problem with sleeping in the apartment whenever she had Jake over. Hell, she had no problem with plugging on her iPod and staying in the room with them. If Brooke slept somewhere else, it definitely wasn't for her benefit. Besides, Brooke had her own bedroom and the walls weren't that thin (nor where she and Jake that loud).

She gave her a look and arched her eyebrows. "Where _exactly_ did you sleep last night, Brooke?"

"It's Fight Club, Hales." Responded Brooke before taking a big gulp from her cup of coffee, "Nobody talks about it."

A male brunette sat between them dropping a quick peck on Brooke's cheek and leaning in to pull Haley in a deep kiss. "What's Fight Club?" he asked as he settled down.

"Whoever Brooke's been sleeping with lately." Commented Haley off-hand before taking a bite out of her sandwich. "Suddenly she's a _Kiss And Don't Tell_ girl."

"Actually, I'm always a _Kiss And Tell_ girl." Retorted Brooke, "Its _Fuck And Tell_ that I don't do, Hales."

Jake laughed, "Anyone I know?" he asked, "You know Phi Delt has the best guys on campus, Brookie Cookie."

"Actually, Jaglieski, it's the Sigs who have the best guys." Commented a smirking Nate Scott as he grabbed a chair across from them. "And I'd love to take you out for a test run, Davis, anytime you're willing."

Brooke just grinned at him. Nate was always throwing the usual lewd comments and sexual offers her way. She'd grown to enjoy it and it became their particular brand of banter.

The Scott Brothers were the most popular guys on campus and co-captains of the basketball team. Nate was the starting shooting guard and Luke was the starting point guard. However, Luke and his buddies were Phi Delt's while Nate and his buddies were Sigma Chi's. This created a slightly friendly rivalry between them.

"Same difference, you're both just frat boys." Said a curly haired blonde girl as she sat down next to her big brother. "You and Luke should just whip them out and measure."

Nathan rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead, "Hi to you, too, sis."

Peyton Scott. Luke and Nate Scott's annoying baby sister, and the latest freshman addition to the cheer squad. Brooke couldn't stand her, but the skinny bitch could move (at least on her good days).

The chitchat continued around the table. Jake and Nate talked about practice. Hales and Brooke talked about the squad, Peyton tried to join in and Haley tried to include her, but Brooke didn't let her get a word in edgewise. At some point though, Brooke just tuned out and let the conversation carry on without her. She had other things on her mind.

"Brooke?" Peyton questioned. "Brooke?"

Haley snapped her fingers close to her face, "Yo, B. Davis!" she said snickering.

"Still with us or what?" asked Peyton with a pseudo-friendly smile.

"What do you want, _Little Scott_?" she questioned with a bored tone and a vacant stare.

Peyton had a just grin and bear it attitude. Little Scott was the nickname forced on her by the Basketball, Football and Soccer Team as well as the Cheer Squad. Nate and Luke were the kings of the Duke Campus, but she would forever be just their baby sister. It was practically impossible to crawl out of that shadow and she knew it.

"We were just…um, discussing some music choices for the next game." Said Peyton, "I thought—"

"Haley and Bevin help select the music for the routines." Said Brooke, cutting her off, "Freshmen don't get an opinion."

Before anyone could comment, Luke arrived at the table. It only took Luke a second to realize that Brooke had just been picking on Peyton. "Back the fuck off my little sister, Davis." He sneered, "We all know how much of a bitch you are, no need to showboat."

"Just shut up, Lucas." muttered Peyton under her breath.

Luke glanced at her frowning, "What's up your ass, Peyt? I'm _trying_ to look out for you."

That was what bothered her. With Luke and Nate looking over her shoulder 24/7 she'd forever be _Little Scott_. But she was who she was so she just answered a meek, "Nothing. I'm sorry."

"Play nice, Blonde and Blonder." Instructed Nate in a mocking scolding manner.

Nate was the first one off since he had a lab. The rest of the gang dispersed to their regular classes shortly after. They'd all meet for English Lit at 3 o'clock anyways. Professor Smith's class was always filled with jocks and cheerleaders, it was an easy A and she took it easy on them.

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke sat sprawled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on her stomach while she read a book.

Haley and Jake were attempting to cook dinner in the kitchen. Mac and Cheese, which was supposed to be Haley's specialty. Brooke paused and watched them fooling around in the kitchen. They looked cute and Jake was always really sweet with Haley. She wondered if she'd ever have something like that…but she immediately snapped out of it. Relationships were fine for girls like Haley, but Brooke Davis _wasn't_ the girlfriend type. She didn't do relationships.

Brooke walked into the kitchen and sat on the island. "You guys should just move in together." She commented as she took a sip of either Jake or Haley's Coke, "I can find another apartment and you two can keep on playing really boring married couple."

Jake laughed and shook his head, "We could never live without _you_, Brookie."

"Yeah, Tigger," said Haley, "We're like Three's Company. Don't rock the boat."

"You know, what you need is a boyfriend." commented Jake, "I'm small forward on the basketball team and I'm a Phi Delt, I know plenty of guys who'd _kill _to go out with you."

"I don't do boyfriends, Jake." She answered automatically, "Well, I _do them_…" she said suggestively, "I just don't actually date them."

Haley's eyes widened, though she was used to Brooke's comments, and she laughed shaking her head in disapproval. "Just shut up and lets eat, okay." She said handing both of them a plate and grabbing one for herself.

Brooke remained on the island sitting Indian style, Haley and Jake grabbed the stools across from her and they ate. Afterwards, they began an intense game of _God Of War 3_. Brooke liked her games rough. Both Haley and Jake were surprised that someone with such a cheery personality enjoyed killing and gutting fictional characters so much.

-xx-

**Monday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke sat sprawled on the big, comfy armchair in the living room. He took a long pull from his Heineken as he turned the page on the book he was reading that evening. His phone started buzzing and he flipped it open. The screen read: _2 new messages_.

_**From: Jake**_

_sleeping at hales 2nite._

"Yeah, what else is new?" he muttered to himself before switching to the next message.

_**From: Nate**_

_sig party friday  
coming?_

Luke typed a quick reply to Nate and was about to toss the phone back on the table when a new plan dawned on him. He hit the _New Message_ button.

_**To: 919-555-1075**_

_free 2nite, wanna hook up?_

He didn't save Brooke's number on his phone. Too many nosey people handled it and neither of them wanted anyone to know they were sleeping together. The reply came back quickly.

_**From: 919-555-1075**_

_busy. u can fuck urself 2nite._

"Bitch!" He said before angrily tossing his cell phone at the wall.

"Fucking hell," said the curly-haired blonde who caught the phone before it hit his head, "You keep slamming phones against the wall, mate." He commented absentmindedly tossing the phone back to Luke, "Wouldn't it be easier to just talk it out?"

"Fuck off, Alexander." He barked at him with a glare. He didn't really need or want Fashion Boy's advice on this. He could handle Brooke Davis all on his own.

"I was just trying to help, mate." he said simply.

Luke scoffed, "Don't need your help, Sketch. Thanks for the offer, though."

Alexander Coin wanted to be a fashion designer (hence the nickname Sketch). He'd pledged the Phi Delts with Luke. Most people liked him. Hell, he was Jake's roommate, but Luke just couldn't stand him.

(Might be related to the fact that Alexander was in pretty much every one of Brooke's classes and that they always hung out together.)

But Luke didn't get jealous…it wasn't like she was his girlfriend or anything.

Releasing a sigh, he decided to try one last time before calling it a night and crashing in his room.

_**To: 919-555-1075**_

_better when U fuck me  
want me 2 pick u up?_

He licked his lips in anticipation of her reply. The sound of his fingers anxiously drumming on the old oak table filled the empty room until his phone finally buzzed again.

_**From: 919-555-1075**_

_already outside, asshole._

A triumphant smirk appeared on his face and he raced to the door to let her in. Who the fuck was he kidding? Brooke Davis was as addictive as heroin and he wanted her—_craved_ her—all the time. There was just something that made her...

_Hard to resist._


	2. We Shouldn't, But Maybe I Want To

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Sup Dudes! First of all, I want to send out a major shout out to all my homies who reviewed the first chapter, you guys totally made my day. Second, I made a typo in the last chapter. Luke and Nate are the twins, Peyton's their baby sister. That's all, now on to the story.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_We Shouldn't  
(But Maybe I Want To)_

-xx-

**Thursday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke had had a hell week. Readings for every class, three papers due and cheer practice were more than enough to wear her out. Not to mention all her extracurricular activities, i.e. partying and sneaking around with Luke.

Haley's small fist banged on Brooke's bedroom door for the fifth time this morning, she usually served as Brooke's alarm clock. "Tigger!" she called out, "Move it, class starts in twenty."

She heard a crash followed by a long groan and a thud. The bedroom door opened to reveal a disheveled Brooke wearing her Spider-Man boxers and Bunny Ranch tank top. "God! You're not even dressed yet?" questioned Haley in a whiny tone.

Her chocolate hair cascading down her shoulders messy and uncombed, her hazel green eyes barely open, she muttered almost unintelligibly, "Blowing off class today. Need sleep." She then slammed the door shut and crawled back into her big comfy bed.

Haley sighed, she muttered, "Whatever," to herself, grabbed her books and headed for the door.

She bumped into a red headed girl as soon as she opened it. Both females exchanged the polite apologies and shook hands. "I'm Haley," said the blonde.

"Rachel." The redhead introduced herself, "Um, I'm sorry, is this Brooke Davis' apartment?"

Haley nodded absentmindedly, "Oh, yeah, you're in the right place. I'm her roommate." she said as she rummaged her purse for her keys, "She's getting some shut eye in her room. You can wake her if you want."

"Okay, thanks." the redhead replied stepping into the apartment.

"Um, wait, you're not a looter? I mean, you're not gonna, like, try to steal our TV or something? Brooke actually knows you, right?" she asked.

Rachel laughed and nodded, "Yes. She most definitely knows me."

Haley sighed and smiled, "Okay, then. Her room's the one to the left."

Rachel dropped her duffel bag on the living room couch before heading to Brooke's room. She opened the door and jumped into the brunette's bed.

Brooke let out a moan. "Haley," she mumbled from underneath the pillows, "I told you, I'm skipping the class."

"You always did like cutting class, bitch." Commented Rachel.

Brooke automatically sat up, "Oh, my god!" she squealed hugging her friend, "Rae, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at Brown."

Rachel hugged her back, "You are looking at Duke's newest transfer student." She explained with a shrug, "Need a place to crash, though. Can I stay here for a while?"

"Hells, yeah!" said Brooke, flashing her dimpled smile, "Mi Casa is your Casa, whore, you know that."

Rachel just laughed. She'd always been the Whore and Brooke had always been the Bitch. "Oh, I've missed you, too, B."

-xx-

Half an hour later, Brooke had promised Rachel a spot on the cheer squad and a place to crash. Now, she had to get ready for her next class, which she wasn't planning on skipping.

"Dating anyone?" inquired the red head. Rachel knew her best friend well, and there was only one rock that tripped Brooke again and again…_boys_.

"You know me, Rach, I'm not really the dating kind." Replied Brooke. "There's been a few guys, nothing serious, though. How about you? Ran away from Brown 'cause of a guy?"

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "Deflection." She said, "Predictable move. Then again, the best defense is always a good offence. Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, B." The brunette released an exasperated sigh, "Relax, Brooke, I wasn't shrinking you. I just noticed the Jordans and the jacket." Added the redhead as she pointed towards the coat rack.

"Jake." Said Brooke, "He's Haley's boyfriend, High School sweethearts. Going on five years now. They're all _Joanie Loves Chachi_ all the time."

Rachel couldn't help the scoff. "Well, isn't that just out of a Nicholas Sparks novel."

Brooke rolled her eyes and smacked her arm. "Don't be a bitch, Rae." She checked her watch. If she didn't get a move on, she'd miss her other class. "I'm gonna be late. The sofa pulls out into a bed, TV and PS3's controllers are on the shelf, and there's food in the fridge."

"Okay." Said Rachel with a grateful smile.

"I'll be back by four." Said Brooke as she slid her backpack on her shoulders. And with that she was off.

-xx-

**Thursday  
East Campus  
Duke University**

Brooke arrived and grabbed her usual chair behind Haley and in front of Nate, and pulled out her notebook.

"Hey, Brooke!" greeted Bevin happily from Skills' lap. Brooke waved hello back and started fiddling with her iPod.

Haley was about to ask her details about Rachel when Luke interrupted. "Cutting it kind of close, Davis."

Brooke turned to face him, her best bitch scowl firmly in place, "Don't worry that funny looking head of yours, Scott." She spat at him.

Luke opened his mouth, ready to bark back a comeback, but Haley kicked his chair. "Enough!" she demanded, "You two are like freaking cats and dogs, give it a break already. I know it's a strange concept, but you actually _don't_ have to bite each other's heads off every time you're in the same room."

"We don't!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"You do!" exclaimed everyone back at them.

Skills scoffed, "Dawg, you got kicked out of the last game for starting a catfight…" he said, "With our own cheer squad!"

Haley noticed Brooke's triumphant smile and slapped her arm, "You slapped him, Brooke!" she said, "Don't look so cocky about it, it's _embarrassing_."

And it truly was. How could the co-captain of the renowned Duke Blue Devils Basketball Team, and the captain of the notorious Duke Blue Devils Cheer Squad _not_get along? It was just unnatural.

"He _provoked_ me!" squealed Brooke in her defense.

Luke scoffed, "Not my fault she's such an overly sensitive bitch."

"Hey!" called out Jake defensively, "Just chill out, Luke. Ya think being such a hothead is gonna help you at all? Get thrown off another game and Coach K's just gonna make Nate the official captain."

Nate just sneered, leaning back in his chair cockily, "I ain't got no problem with that." Haley threw him a pencil admonishingly, but he just shrugged and raised his palms slightly. He was a better player than Luke anyways.

"See how cocky you are after that, Luke." continued Jake with a chastising tone.

He and Haley were the designated mediators for Luke and Brooke's fights. Nate and Skills just served to throw fuel on the fire.

Peyton looked up from her sketch pad, "If they wanna bite each other's heads off we should just let them." she piped in from her corner, "Some people just do not get along."

"Shut up, Peyt." Demanded Nate. He wanted to see where the argument was going.

Skills grinned, "Or it could be some kind of twisted form of foreplay." He suggested.

Brooke and Luke glared at him, yelling, "Fuck off, Skills!"

"Ah, I love it when I arrive in time for the good stuff." Commented a blondish brunette as he sat down next to Nate. "What's the fight about?"

Clayton 'Clay' Evans. Captain and starting goalie of the Duke Blue Devils Soccer team, Sigma Chi Active and Nate's best friend. He, like Nate, found Brooke and Luke's fights amusing. He also didn't get why Luke didn't like Brooke. She was beautiful, funny, had a killer smile and an irresistible charm.

Then again that was the problem. Brooke was too beautiful (and she knew it), too confident, and too aggressive. Luke was too cocky, too much of a smartass, and too conceited. Physical attraction, chemical reaction. Put them in a room alone for ten minutes and they were bound to blow up.

Then there was Skills' more than accurate theory. All that tension freed itself when they fucked. It was the perfect release for them both, and everything else was just…foreplay.

"It's Brooke and Luke," said Jake, releasing a sigh in defeat, "What do you think the fight's about?"

Clay laughed, "Nothing much really. Then again their fights never have a reason, do they?"

Professor Smith arrived at that moment preventing the discussion from going any further. Class was slow and dull. Everyone had different ways to kill the hour. The nerds like Haley took notes and paid attention (notes which everyone else would borrow come test time). The introverted ones like Peyton doodled on a sketchbook. The ones who didn't give a shit like Clay and Nate thumb wrestled or played paper football. Jake plugged in his iPhone and drifted away listening to the new Kings of Leon album; Brooke took one of his headphones. Luke pulled out hit phone to text.

Brooke phone vibrated in her bra and she pulled it out. _New Message_.

_**From: 919-555-5016**_

_want u. NOW.  
meet at 2112 in 5?_

Brooke raised an eyebrow in interest. Fighting was definitely their one and only form of foreplay. She flipped her Blackberry open and typed a reply.

_**To: 919-555-5016**_

_done._

2112 was a classroom on the second floor that was always empty. Luke and Brooke used it to hook up in between or during classes. It was _Their Spot_.

-xx-

Brooke was sitting on the desk when Luke arrived. "Took you long enough for a guy who wants it now." She sneered.

"Got here fast enough for someone who claims not to be desperate." He countered as he undid his jeans and released himself from his boxers.

She rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a harsh kiss, allowing his mouth to devour hers. "You're hotter when you don't talk." she said when they broke apart from a second.

He pressed his lips against hers once more, sliding her panties off with one hand and hiking up her skirt with the other. She opened her legs to grant him better access. He found that spot on her neck and began sucking on it.

"Condom?" she asked, regaining her focus.

Luke groaned, "Aren't you on the pill?"

"Yeah," she said nodding, "But if I don't know where it's been, it doesn't go in me."

He could've argued with her, but he opted against it, quickly pulling a Trojan out and rolling it on, sliding himself home as soon as it was on.

Brooke moaned and bit down on his shoulder, gripping his hair tightly. She heard him chuckle smugly, "Feel good?" he asked, thrusting into her faster.

She answered nothing. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction, and she liked being the one in control. Control of her body, control of his pleasure, she was the one in charge.

Luke pulled her closer to him. He wanted no space between them when they fucked. He thrust harder into her, both desperate for release. "Come on, baby, tell me you like it. Tell me you want me." he hissed in her ear.

Brooke pulled away to look at him, her hazel eyes penetrating his blue ones, unwilling to budge. "You tell _me_." she demanded.

With a final thrust they both went over the edge, Luke gripping her hair, Brooke biting down on his shoulder once more.

_This_ was what they were good at.

Release. Fucking. Quickies in empty classrooms. It'd never be more.

-xx-

They had this routine down to a T. Brooke walked back into the classroom first, Luke walked in ten minutes later. Nobody ever suspected anything.

A couple of minutes later, Smith dismissed the class and everyone exited the classroom. Haley and Brooke were headed for their apartment, but Clay pulled Brooke away.

"I'll see ya home, Tigg." Called out Haley.

Brooke turned to Clay, "What can I do you for, handsome?" she asked smiling.

In all honesty, Brooke was a Sigma Chi girl. Sure, Jake was one of her closest friends, Alexander was her study buddy, and she'd been screwing Luke on and off for a year and a half. But _Her Boys_, as she liked to call them, where all Sigs. Clay who'd grown up with her, always had her back and let her drive his Jag, and Nate who always flirted with her.

Then there was the Frat President and Football Team starting quarterback, Owen Morello. Every guy on campus was equally impressed and fearful of him, and they were right to be. Owen had broken state records on the football field, and slept his way through half the student directory (and some of the faculty) by his freshman year at Duke. Plus, he could probably crush any other guy using only one hand. He also happened to have a soft spot for Brooke Davis. He was like a big brother to her, when she had trouble with the mandatory on-campus housing, Owen had hooked her up with a place to crash until she started rooming with Haley.

And so, all of Brooke's Boys were Sigma Chi's. In the end, that was just one more reason why she couldn't make sense out of her…whatever it was she had with Luke.

"Question is what can I do for you, B." Clay said throwing an arm around her shoulder and kissing her forehead, "Luke giving you trouble?"

Brooke suppressed the laughter, "Nah," she said, shaking her head, "It's just how he is, we're always fighting over something or other."

"Okay. You coming to the party tomorrow?" he asked grinning.

"Hell, yeah, babe." She said, "You know it's not a Sigma Chi party without me."

"That is true." He conceded, "Wanna a ride back home?"

Brooke flashed him a dimpled smile, "Can I drive?"

Clay stared at her and sighed, surrendering his car keys. Brooke squealed and grabbed them. She loved driving Clay's Jag.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke stood outside making free throws, his iPod headphones placed securely in his ears. Another crossover dribble and he jumped, slamming the ball into the hoop and holding on to the basketball rim.

He dropped down, grabbed the ball and continued shooting. He turned around startled when someone pulled out one his headphones. "The fuck…" he huffed, out of breath.

"Easy, Luke," said Jake chuckling, "Just me. Releasing some stress?"

Luke shrugged, "I guess…" he mumbled, running a hand trough his Mohawk. He sighed, "Ya really think Coach K would remove me as captain?"

Jake took the ball from him and made an easy three-pointer, "You know how Coach is, Luke. Captain's supposed to be a leader. I know you got some sort of weird pre-school beef with Brooke, but it's time to drop it. I mean, it was interesting to see you two go at it at first, but she's Haley's roommate and captain of the cheer squad, she's gonna hang out with us so you might as well get used to it, you know?"

Luke had no problem being around Brooke. Arguing was just how they communicated. They fucked, but it was more than that. He wanted to claim her as his. He hated the way other guys looked at her and he hated that he couldn't just tell them to back off…but he knew Brooke wasn't_ the dating _kind. Truthfully, he wasn't either. And he sure as hell wasn't gonna be the moron who ruined his never-ending booty call with the hottest girl at Duke 'cause he made the mistake of wanting to date her.

He threw the ball and watched it miss the hoop. "Yeah," he said looking down. When it came to Brooke Davis, he rarely scored any points. "I know."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke walked into her apartment and threw herself on the armchair across from Haley and Rachel. "Hey, you two BFFs already?"

Haley laughed, "As a matter of fact we are." She said, "Rae just told me she's joined the cheer squad and that she's gonna be crashing with us for a while. I haven't been in a girls only house since all my sisters and I lived together at home and our parents left town."

"Not much of a girls only house with Jake sleeping here five days a week." Commented Brooke, "Not that I mind. I love Jakey Poo, I was just saying."

"Speaking of, when do I get to meet this Jake?" asked Rachel.

"He's in practice most of the day tomorrow, but he'll be at the Sigma Chi party." Said Haley, "We're going right?"

"Aw, come on, Hales." Said Brooke, "When have you ever known me to miss a party?"

Haley smiled, "Good. Well, I'm walking with Jake from the Phi Delt house. You two cool with meeting there?"

Both Brooke and Rachel nodded, "That's settled then." Said Haley standing up and walking towards her room, "Oh, and hey, Brooke, try to make it home from this one, okay?"

Rachel threw her brunette friend a questioning look. "It was just a hook up." said Brooke, immediately answering the unasked question.

And at that moment Rachel knew…there was something Brooke was not telling her.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

When Brooke and Rachel arrived at the Sigma Chi house, the party was already in full swing. The redhead was impressed by how many of the guys sauntered over to greet her friend, placing messy kisses on her cheeks and forehead, and bringing her drinks from the second she walked in.

"Every single guy in here knows you." commented Rachel

Brooke smiled proudly and shrugged, "I hang out here a lot."

She led Rachel to where Owen and Clay were leading a game of Quarters. When Clay spotted her, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Dimples is here!" The rest of the guys broke out in a similar chant as a way of greeting her.

Brooke grabbed a quarter and effortlessly bounced it into one of the glasses. "Hey, boys, this is my friend Rachel. She just transferred here."

Both Clay and Owen gave her a once over. She was definitely hot, they could both tell that much. Clay flashed her his crooked grin, "Can she tip a few back?" he questioned.

Rachel grinned right back at him, bouncing a quarter into a shot glass and quickly downing it. "I think I can handle myself."

Owen smiled, licking his lips, and handed her another shot. "Hey, I'm Owen." He said smiling.

Rachel grabbed the shot and downed it, "Nice to meet you…Big O." she said, looking him up and down and winking flirtatiously.

"And I'm Clay, gorgeous," he cut in, handing her blue cup with rum and Coke and looking her up and down. "That's a nice skirt. Any chance I can talk you out of it?"

Brooke snickered, "Okay, I'm gonna go find the keg. Rae, I trust I'm leaving you in good hands."

"Oh, I have excellent hands." Assured Clay, "They're big, too."

"Actually, he's the soccer player. Hands aren't a big part of what he does." Amended Owen, trying to cock block Clay, "I'm the quarterback, babe. I'm _all_ hands."

Brooke nudged Rachel, she just laughed. "I think I'm be good, B. See you later."

-xx-

The line to the keg was a mile long so Brooke opted for asking one the Pledges to pour her a vodka and cranberry, which she finished in record time.

OneRepublic's _All The Right Moves_ started blasting from the sound system. Nate downed a whiskey shot and walked over to her. "Dance?"

Brooke flashed him a dimpled smile and took his hand, leading him to the dance floor.

Nate pulled her close to his chest as they swayed slowly to the beat of the music. He kept his right hand loosely placed on her waist, his left hand clutching a Heineken bottle.

Brooke laughed as she threw her arms around his neck, letting her fingers roam freely in his hair. Nate, in turn, caressed her exposed back with his free hand, and then placed his other hand on her lower back. The cold beer bottle colliding with her warm porcelain skin sent chills down her spine.

He pushed her hair back and whispered into her ear along to the lyrics, "_All the right friends in all the right places... They've got all the right moves and all the right faces…_"

She rested her forehead against his, continuing the lyrics for him. "_So, yeah, we're going down…_"

Nate leaned in a placed a soft delicate kiss on her lips, taking his time to see just how she tasted. There was Grey Goose and Cranberry on her breath, but her lips tasted sweet. Like…grapes and something else. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He pulled back, though.

Brooke stared into his familiar blue eyes in shock. They'd always flirted, he always pushed her buttons, but it had never gone anywhere. Not really. And now he'd just kissed her and it was a nice, lovely kiss.

"Davis," he said, jutting his chin out towards her, waiting for her to do or say something. Anything.

She brought her hands up to his face and pulled him down, crashing her lips into his. Her kiss was more aggressive and he responded quickly, lifting her off the floor all the while wrapping his strong arms around her petite waist.

Brooke bit his lower lip playfully and pulled away from him giggling like a little girl. He laughed too and gave her a final quick peck on the lips. "Been waiting for a year and a half to do that, Davis."

"And, what?" she questioned with a cocked eyebrow, "You were scared?"

Nate just smirked and shook his head, "Just liked playing with you." he said simply, "But now it's time to step up the game. You in or out, B?"

She smiled at him once more. She sure was tempted, but... "We shouldn't…"

"And when has that stopped either of us before?" he immediately countered. It was a very valid point. Both of them constantly did things they shouldn't. It's just that the things had never been each other.

Clay popped up behind her and threw an arm around her shoulder, "B! Quarters rematch in the living room. _Now_. Let's _go_!"

Brooke turned to Clay and smiled, "Let's go." She says slipping out Nate's grip, "See ya, Nathan."

Nate stood there feeling a little dumbstruck. Brooke Davis had just passed him up for a game of Quarters. And she'd called him Nathan instead of Nate. Neither of which had ever happened to him to before.

Brooke sneaked a peek as Clay led her to the living room and saw Nate's perplexed look. What the fuck had just happened?

Of course both of them were too entranced to notice the brooding blonde who left the house punching a wall when he spotted them dancing so close or the observant redhead who saw the dancing, the pissed off blonde, and the kiss.

Rachel spotted Haley behind her and stopped her, "Hey," she said, "Who's the raven-haired guy, blue eyes?" she asked.

"Nate Scott." answered Haley, "Why?"

Rachel ignored the question, "And the blonde one—funny haircut and a bad temper?"

Jake arrived placing a kiss on Haley's cheek and handing her a drink. "Mohawk? That'd be Luke Scott. He's Nate's brother." he said, "And I'm Jake."

Rachel smiled and shook his hand, "Ah! So this is _The Boyfriend_." she said it pointedly, like it were a title.

This caused Jake to grin way too proudly, "Yeah, that's me." he threw an arm around Haley's shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the side of her head. "Right, babe?"

"Yes. This is my him!"

Rachel smiled. She could see how they were cute without being nauseating. "It's really nice to finally meet you, Jake." she said, peeking over shoulder to see if she could spot Brooke, "I'm Rachel."

'_Oh, shit,'_ thought Rachel, _'what the fuck is Brooke getting herself into?'_

**AN: So…time to voice your opinions, since I'm basically making this one up as I go along, do you like Brathan? Do you like Brucas? Any other pairings you'd like to see? I'm open to suggestions.**


	3. This Will Self Destruct In 10 Seconds

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: 'Sup Homies! You dudes are complete and total awesomeness! Major shout outs to: **_Sara, Brooke. Davis. Fan., ILoveSarahSophia, Cassie, OTH-Brucas-love, koumi11, Mel, brucasfanatic, fallenasleep, fggt16, BrucasisBest, brucas bunny76, dianehermans, Love me some Julian, SouthernBellBrooke, clauita, loveBLforever, NicoleDavis91x, juicetroop82 & everyone else_** 'cause you're the greatest reviewers out there and you totally motivated me to update!**

**Also, there's plenty of fighting in this chapter. It's kinda shitty and mostly filler and I might rewrite it. Tell me whatcha think…**

**_The Rules Of Attraction_**

_This Life Will Self-Destruct In 10 Seconds_

-xx-

**Saturday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

After last night's Sigma Chi party, Haley and Jake had packed it in early. They were planning to wake up early and head back home to Tree Hill that weekend.

All the clattering and stomping around the apartment woke Brooke up, not that she'd been sleeping much, but still.

Rachel, on the other hand, was still completely knocked out on the couch. Both Jake and Haley were a little concerned that nothing seemed to wake her, but Brooke knew it was normal for her to sleep like a rock.

"Why are you going to Tree Hill?" asked Brooke from the table she was sitting on, "Your parents aren't even home, Hales."

Haley let out a dry laugh, "Are they ever?"

"Touché." Said Brooke with a shrug. "Still doesn't answer my question."

Haley sighed, "We're going to Tree Hill 'cause we haven't been home in three months, we got my house to ourselves and Jake's dad _is_ there. His baby brother Ronnie's still off trekking around Europe, and Jake wants to make sure his dad's taking care of himself. That answer the question?"

"Nice to see the time doesn't affect your sarcasm reflex." Commented Brooke with a raised eyebrow, "I, for one, can't function without that first dose of caffeine."

Jake walked into the room holding two cups of coffee. "Then have no fear, Jake's here. Mocha double latte, extra foam." He said handing Brooke a cup, "And a caramel cappuccino, extra shot for my girl. You all packed up, babe?"

Haley checked her bag one last time and nodded, "Yup." She said zipping it up, "I got everything. You got the car keys?"

"Yeah, lets get a move on. Maybe we can get there before ten." Said Jake as he picked up Haley's bag, "Oh, and we have to stop by the Sigma Chi house. I told Nate we'd give him and Peyt a ride."

"Nate's leaving too?" asked Brooke, immediately looking up from her coffee cup.

Jake nodded. "Yeah." He said, "You know how it is, Dan Scott likes to check in on his _little girl_ every other week."

Yes, Brooke most definitely knew how it was. Dan Scott was a drunken, controlling asshole. He pushed Luke and Nate like they where animals, classic _Living Through My Sons Syndrome._

It was never like that with Peyton, though. She was his little girl and, as Dan put it, one of the advantages of living near Duke was that they could drop by every other weekend. This week it was Nate's turn to drive down with Peyton. Hoo-freaking-ray.

"Sure you don't wanna come with us, Tigger?" asked Haley, pulling Brooke out of her thoughts. "You know you're always welcome at my house. There's, like, five spare rooms and seven extra beds."

Brooke shook her head and jumped down from the table. "Nah, Hales, I'm good, thanks. Maybe next time." She then disappeared into her room and shut the door.

Jake and Haley exchanged looks. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Don't know, babe. But I'm sure we'll find out eventually." Said Haley, before knocking on Brooke's bedroom door, "Oh, and Brooke, you have to go grocery shopping this weekend. I left my half of the money in the cookie jar. We'll be back early Monday morning."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Al's Backyard**

Brooke decided to let Rachel sleep in and went to grab herself some grub.

Al's Backyard was Duke's everything place. During the mornings they had breakfast, afternoons they had lunch and at nighttime it served as a pub. It had a big stage for live band performances and open-mic nights, and, Brooke's personal favorite, pool tables.

She sipped on her smoothie and stared at her uneaten stack of pancakes. She needed some alone time. What the fuck had happened last night? Nate was her friend. They'd seen each other in their underwear and they'd licked whipped cream off of each other… They'd basically fooled around with the unspoken knowledge that it wouldn't lead anywhere because they were _just_ friends.

And now he'd kissed her. What the fuck was up with that?

Oh! And then there was that other little detail. He was Luke's _brother_. Luke's _twin_ brother.

An abrupt voice broke her out of her whirlpool of thoughts. "What the fuck was that with Nate last night?" asked Luke as he sat across from her in the booth.

Brooke rubbed her temples. Freaking great. This was just what she needed right now. "Hi to you, too, Luke." she said plastering on a fake smile, "Please, sit down. Let's chat."

Luke slammed his hand down on the table. "Cut the bullshit, Brooke, I saw you. He was feeling you up. And you were letting him."

The fact that he hadn't alluded to the kiss told her that he hadn't seen it. That was a relief. "Jealous?" she asked, "_Really_?"

Luke let out a guttural growl, "So what if I am?"

"Well, newsflash, you're _not_ my boyfriend, Luke." Brooke countered curtly, "We _fuck_ _around_. My life's _my_ life and I owe you no explanations. I owe you _nothing_. I can do whatever the fuck I please. You do not own me."

Luke considered telling her to fuck off for a second, but opted against it. He wanted to remain calm, which, in theory was a good plan except for the fact that Brooke always made that impossible. "It doesn't have to be like that, you know."

Brooke's eyes widened, "Luke! Come on!"

"What!" he grunted, clearly agitated.

"You know," Brooke huffed, "I prefer it when you're all Broody. You're much less patronizing that way."

"And I prefer it when you're all Cheery." He retorted, "You're much less of a bitch that way."

Brooke grabbed her purse and stood up, "Nice. Are we done here?"

"Trust me, we are nowhere _near_ done." He replied standing up, leaning his fists on the table.

"Well, then," said Brooke, "You can stay here and mull everything over. I'm done." She walked out, but stopped and turned to face him, "I assume it was understood, but since you're kind of dense I'll clarify it for you: don't bother calling me, you can screw yourself this weekend. Have fun."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke arrived at her apartment feeling emotionally drained. Fighting with Luke always took a toll on her. (Especially when she'd played a game of tonsil hockey with his brother less than 12 hours ago.)

She threw her keys in the bowl by the door and looked around. Rachel had moved from her spot at the couch. "Rae," she called out, "You awake or did you fall asleep on the toilet?"

Rachel popped her head out of the bathroom, a blue toothbrush in her mouth. "Imma wake mich." She muttered and leaned into the sink to spit.

Brooke sat on one of the kitchen stools and started going through the mail. "I have to go to market later, wanna come?"

Rachel walked out of the bathroom and jumped up on the kitchen counter, "Sure. I love grocery shopping."

Brooke quirked an eyebrow as she skimmed over a letter, "Surprised to see you waking up here. I thought for sure you'd hook up with Owen. Or Clay. Or, if you managed to get them drunk enough, both."

Rachel poured herself a cup of coffee and shrugged, "I could've, its not like they were playing hard to get."

"Yeah, well, it's not like _you _to play hard to get, either." Answered Brooke.

The redhead sighed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder, "Maybe I wanna lose my reputation as a slut. New college, new Rachel."

Brooke's hazel eyes met Rachel's chocolate ones and both females burst out laughing until their stomachs hurt. "Seriously, though, what happened? I thought you liked them."

"Oh, I do." Conceded Rachel, "But I also like making them work for it a little. Besides, I'm not gonna screw them both. They're _friends_ and, you know, frat _brothers_. It'd be tacky."

Brooke suddenly felt that Rachel was taking a subtle dig at her. "Then again it's not as tacky as screwing _actual_ brothers. Don't you agree?" And subtlety had never been Rachel Gatina's specialty.

Brooke chuckled nervously, "Yeah…I guess." There was no way Rachel could know, right?

Rachel sighed, "Okay, I was going for the whole subtle-get-you-to-open-up-to-me crap, but you and I don't operate that way so I'll just go right to the point. Screwing both Moody and Broody is a _really_ bad idea."

"Okay, you're totally tweaking right now." Said Brooke, avoiding the redhead's eyes, "Maybe, you just really, really need to get some—"

"Oh, I get some '_some_' all the time." interrupted Rachel, "The problem's not me getting some, it's you getting too much. Seriously, B, _brothers_?"

"God, will you stop that!" shrieked Brooke. "I'm not sleeping with them!"

Rachel raised an eyebrow in defiance, "Well, you're doing _something_. I saw your tonsil hockey match with Nate, and I saw Luke punch a wall just by seeing the way he grabbed you. Can't imagine what he'd do if he had seen you shove your tongue down his throat. Really, screwing brothers is messy business."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I am not screwing both brothers!" she shrieked, "Jeez, give me a little credit."

"Ha!" Rachel smiled in triumph, "But you are screwing _one_ of them." Brooke exhaled, averting the redhead's eyes. _Bingo_! "Holy slut, Batman! Which one?" asked Rachel.

"I've been hooking up with Luke for, like, a year now." Explained Brooke, "I mean, we really don't get along. He's a swagger-y, arrogant, ass-y guy and—"

"'Cause you're just a tiny kitten of joy and love." Interrupted Rachel with a sardonic tone.

Brooke let out an exasperated groan, "Point is: Luke and I are complicated. We've been butting heads since we first met. Most of the time I can't stand him. It's, like, when we're good, we're good and when we're bad, we're_ really _bad. We have no middle ground. And anyways, I think our never-ending booty call just ended over at Al's so…that's that."

Rachel nodded, taking in everything Brooke had just told her. "And what about Nate? He complicated, too?"

Brooke smiled, "Nate and I... He's my friend. We didn't automatically clash the first time we met. We actually got along really well. And he and Clay rushed together so we all started to hang out. He always flirted with me, grabbed my ass and stuff, but it was always just fooling around. I don't know where the kiss last night came from."

"Figure it out." Said Rachel as she grabbed her duffel bag and headed to the bathroom.

Brooke frowned and jumped off her stool, "Where are you going?" she asked with a confused frown.

Rachel popped her head out of the bathroom, "To change. We're going to the market, right?"

The brunette nodded, her bangs shaking loose and framing her face, "So, just like that…conversation over?"

"Yup." Yelled Rachel from the bathroom, "When this all blows up in your face the conversation can start again."

Brooke glared and slammed the door to her room. Who was she kidding? Rachel was right. There was nothing she could've said to her to help. Not until the whole situation blew up in her face, anyways.

-xx-

**Monday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke University**

A loud, high-pitched noise emitted by a small blue whistle filled the entire gym. The smell of sweat and Axe deodorant permeated the basketball court. All twelve members of the Basketball Team quieted down and looked at Coach K expectantly. It was obvious he was pissed.

"What the hell's wrong with all of you?" he shouted. "Half of you can't seem to stand straight, the other half is just playing like plain shit!"

He placed the whistle back in his mouth, "Suicides. Now!" he blew the whistle once more and the guys began to run up and down the court.

The cheer practice had stopped to watch the boys get reamed. The squad wasn't doing much better than the guys.

Brooke let out a heavy sigh and took a sip from her water bottle. They'd been running down the same routine for the last half hour. "God, what is _up_ with everyone today?"

"Well, it's hard to focus on cheering while two hot boys are undressing me with their eyes…" said Rachel with a shrug, "Oh, wait! That's not me, that's _you_." she said glaring at her friend, "The rest of us are just dragging from lack of sleep."

"Oh, fuck off, Rae." Hissed Brooke, setting her bottle back on the bleachers, and turning back to the squad, "Okay, we're doing this till we get it right! And one, two, three, four." She said, hitting the play button.

-xx-

Things continued peacefully for a while. One of the PT guys dragged Coach K out of the gym for something. The team continued to run suicides, just like they'd been doing for the last half hour. It felt like their legs were about to fall off.

The girls heard a thud and turned to see what it was. Luke tripped and did a face plant in the middle of the court. He looked pissed, Brooke always thought he looked cute angry so she let out a giggle.

He glared at her, seething. "What? You think it's funny, Davis?" he asked walking angrily towards her.

"You tripped and fell, Scott. It was slightly amusing." She conceded with a nod.

"Everything amuses you, right!" he shouted, "Everything's a damn game!"

Brooke sighed. "Take a chill pill, Luke." They usually got into arguments during practice. She was used to it, but she wasn't in the mood now.

Luke wasn't having it, though. They hadn't talked since Saturday and now was as good a time as any to have it out. Or at least that's what Luke thought. Brooke obviously disagreed.

Big shock there, Brooke and Luke disagreeing over something.

They faced each other, shouting loudly. Luke accused her of being fucked up and difficult. Brooke called him an obsessive, asinine pig.

_'Self-righteous asshole, I don't owe you shit!'_

_'God! Do you always have to be such a whiny little bitch all the time!'_

After a while, they were just screaming over each other so neither could fully understand what the other was saying. Both practices remained completely halted to watch the show, nobody quite sure of how to separate them.

Haley and Jake took their usual spots next to Brooke and Luke, respectively, and attempted to calm them down, but their soothing words fell on deaf ears.

Nate smirked and glanced at Rachel. "Well, now they're just fighting to fight."

Rachel glanced from Brooke and Luke to Nate, "Yeah, well…Brooke never did know when to back down."

"Funny," said Nate, never taking his eyes off the petite brunette, "Neither did Luke."

The fight was pretty mellow until Brooke shoved Luke (which didn't accomplish much seeing as she was only 5'5). When that didn't work, she slapped him clear across the face.

_Smack_!

The sound of her petite hand colliding with Luke's scruffy face filled the gym. A chorus of _oohs_ and _ahs_ erupted from the squad and the team. Feeling self-satisfied by the red imprint of her hand on Luke's cheek, Brooke walked away. This fight was very public and very stupid.

And Brooke Davis did neither of those.

But that, of course, wasn't the end of it for Luke. Jake and Nate attempted to hold him down, but he quickly shrugged them off, trotting up to Brooke.

He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. She groaned, "What, huh! What the fuck are you going to do, Luke? You gonna hit me back?"

Luke's face was red with anger. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Brooke began kicking and screaming, trying to release herself from his firm grip.

He dropped her flat on her ass on the nearest mat in the gym. Brooke immediately stood up ready to tackle him. She rammed him, both went down and began to wrestle around on the floor fighting to be on top and subdue the other. As always, neither was willing to budge.

Shrieks came from the squad. Grunts and whoops came the team.

This had escalated beyond what Jake and Haley usually handled, so Nate and Rachel stepped in and pulled them apart.

Rachel gripped Brooke's waist tightly as she held her back. "Calm down, B." she instructed, looking at Haley to help her restrain Brooke.

"A hand, Jaglieski," grunted Nate as he pushed Luke back.

Once more, the loud, high-pitched noise that the small blue whistle emitted filled the entire gym. Everyone quieted down and looked at Coach K expectantly.

"Cheer practice is over, ladies." Coach K said glancing at the cheerleaders. "So is Basketball practice. Scott." Nate and Luke looked up at him, "_Lucas_. My office. Now."

Skills and Jake exchanged looks, "That ain't good, dawg."

Luke shoved Skills and made his way to the Coach's office. No, this was _not_ good.

Rachel snorted, "Tell us something we don't know." She linked arms with Brooke and walked towards the exit.

Jake sighed and threw an arm around Haley, "That wasn't good either."

Peyton, who'd remained quiet throughout the whole ordeal, finally spoke. "Brooke's a bitch. She's dragging Luke down to her level and he's just gonna end up screwed." She stated icily, "Hell, she probably just cost him his Captain spot."

"You're out of line, Peyt." Hissed Nate, glaring at his baby sister.

"And you just like her 'cause she's hot." Countered Peyton. "Try thinking with your upper brain." She said taping the side of his head with her index finger.

Nate slapped her hand away from his face, "Say whatever the fuck you want, Peyt, but the only bitch here right now is you. Pull yourself together and stop acting like such a spoiled little brat. Show some fucking _respect_."

"Screw this, I'm out!" she slammed her pom-poms down and walked out of the gym, taking the opposite exit that Brooke and Rachel had taken minutes before.

Haley exhaled anxiously, "So…which disaster should I handle first?" she asked to no one in particular.

Nate quirked an eyebrow, "Well, let's see…there's Blonde & Bitchy or Brunette & Pissy. Take your pick."

"I'll go after Blonde & Bitchy—I mean _Peyton,_" commented Jake catching himself and shaking his head, "Brooke has Rachel with her. They'll be fine. And you know how Pey gets when she's all emotional. She likes to push the self-destruct button."

By default, Peyton was their little sister, too. Haley had been Luke's best friend since pre-K, and Jake had known Luke and Nate since their first summer at basketball camp. They were part of the family. Looking out for her was second nature to Jake and Haley.

Haley nodded and Jake trotted after the curly haired blonde.

The honey-blonde eyed the raven-haired Scott curiously, "What are you gonna do, Nate?"

The Infamous Scott Smirk played on Nate's lips. "I'm gonna go find Brunette & Pissy, see if I can cheer her up." he said jogging toward the exit Brooke and Rachel had taken.

And right then and there, Haley knew...

_This is gonna mean trouble_.

-xx-

Nate caught up to Brooke and Rachel in the parking lot. "Red," he said nodding to Rachel. "Need to talk to Brooke."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "Okay, am I stopping you?" Both Nate and Brooke gave her a look, "Kidding," She grabbed the car keys from Brooke's hands, "I trust Moody can drive you home safely." She said getting into the car, "See ya guys."

Nate laughed, "_Moody_? That's what you're calling me now?"

"Well, if the nickname fits." Said Brooke with a casual shrug, "You've been gone all weekend." She added matter-of-factly.

Nate nodded, "Yeah. Thought about you a lot." he said, "Mostly dirty stuff, though." He added playfully, trying to get back to their usual banter.

Brooke laughed. If nothing else, Nate could always make her smile. "Nate, you kissed me, and…you can't un-ring the frigging bell, dude! What the hell were you thinking?"

Nate flashed her his patented smirk, "I was thinking you looked really hot in those tight jeans and that low cut top, that your lips were begging for it, and that I_really_ wanted to know what you tasted like."

Brooke frowned unsure about what to ask next, "Well…uh, did I taste good?" she asked jokingly.

"Unbelievably good." He whispered before crashing his lips against hers. This time it wasn't delicate. It was hungry, like he wanted all of her right there, right now. His hand cradled the side of her face, pulling her closer to him. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy that." He said, pecking her lips playfully.

An uncontrollable giggle came from Brooke's throat, "Oh, I _definitely_ did…" Nate was a great kisser.

"Let me take you out tomorrow night." he said pulling her small frame close to his larger one, "Pick you up at eight. Drinks at Al's?" he saw her hesitating, "Look, dating's supposed to be fun. It's college, okay. Anything can be fun. And everything should be fun. It doesn't all have to be fighting and yelling and big melodramatic moments. I know you, Brooke Davis. You're one of my best friends. I mean I've even seen you naked. What's the worst that could happen?"

Brooke's jaw dropped, "You've never—"

"Pool Raid. Freshman Year." He interrupted, "Your bare ass was my cell phone's screensaver for a month. It's still the picture that shows up _every time _you call me." Brooke laughed, the memories of that drunken night flooding back to her. Stealing the keys, breaking in…freshman year was pretty wild. "Point is, I know you. We'd be good together. Go out, have fun, have sex…lots of sex." He said chuckling.

Brooke laughed at the comment. "Fine." She said, releasing a sigh. "Drinks at Al's." What did she have to lose? She and Luke were apparently over…and she and Nate seemed to naturally flow.

"All right." He said grinning widely, "Now, come on, my bike's this way." he said nodding to the other part of the parking lot. "I promised Red I'd get you home safe and sound."

Brooke's eyes widened in excitement, "Ooh! You brought the Harley?"

"I brought the Harley." He repeated with a swift nod, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Wanna drive?" He laughed then, because Nate Scott only ever rode bitch for Brooke Davis.

Brooke squealed. She fit pretty okay in Nate's arms and already she was having fun. They didn't fight 24/7. He didn't throw her on cheer mats. It was simple and uncomplicated. And she could definitely use a break from complicated. Besides, they were just hanging out at Al's; they'd done it a thousand times before.

What could possibly go wrong?

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Al's Backyard**

Everyone was gathered at Al's. The events of the last practice were still fresh in everyone's minds and they figured getting drunk and dancing it out would be an excellent way to clear the bad air.

A new DJ was scratching tonight and he was pretty good. Everyone was dancing, drink in hand of course. All the bodies in the bar bounced up and down along to the rhythm of the music. Beer falling from overfilled cups onto the ground as guys gripped their female dancing partners and moved back and fort along to the beat.

Nate and Jake were getting drinks while Brooke and Haley waited over by the stage.

"So, wait," said Haley, sipping what was left of her rum and coke, "You two are out on a date?"

Brooke shrugged, "Kinda. It's a night at Al's. How much a date can that be?"

"Good point." agreed Haley, "You and Nate do kind of make sense, though. Both brunettes, both a little cocky…you're so sunny and he's so…"

"Moody?" suggested Brooke.

Haley laughed. She was already tipsy. "That's cute. Sunny & Moody."

Brooke laughed, too.

_Sunny & Moody_.

It _was_ cute… But, somehow, it wasn't as _right_ as Cheery & Broody.

Then again, Luke had never stepped up and asked her to do anything. (They never stopped arguing long enough to actually make any kind of social plans.)… And Nate was there and he wanted her_._

Over at the bar, Jake struggled to get the bartender's attention. For some reason Al's was overflowed with people tonight.

"Dude, you and Brooke? That's _heavy_." questioned Jake, "What's Luke got to say about that?"

Nate furrowed his brow, "Why would Luke say anything? Who I date is my business."

"'Cause…" stuttered Jake, "Uh, he can't stand her."

Nate finally got his and Brooke's drinks, "That's his problem. Let him deal with it." he said before heading over to Brooke.

-xx-

Clay, it seemed, was the last to arrive and he looked around the bar in search of a certain redhead. He spotted her dancing with Owen and shook his head.

'That's what you get for being late, Clay.' He thought as he walked towards the bar, loosening up his yellow-and-blue Sigma Chi tie.

"Al!" he said tapping the counter, "Beer, please. Whatever's on tap will do."

He chugged down half the contents of the mug and continued glancing around. His eyes stopped on a skinny, angry looking blonde. He grabbed his beer and walked over to her. "Why down in the dumps, Little Scott?"

"Piss off, Clay." Peyton answered curtly.

_Rawr_! Clay growled playfully, "Retract claws, Curly. I come in peace."

"Curly." Peyton scoffed, "Better than Little Scott, I guess."

Clay chuckled, "You need to loosen up, Goldilocks. I mean, you go to every Sig and Phi Delt party, you're one of the lucky freshman who made it into the cheer squad, but you always go home alone. What's up with that?"

"I'm Little Scott," she said bitterly, "Most guys are afraid that Luke or Nate will kick their ass if they hook up with me."

"Ah, and where are the bodyguards tonight?"

Peyton shrugged, "Luke's holed up studying for some test and Nate's...around here somewhere."

Clay rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand. "I'm not afraid of your brothers." He informed her matter-of-factly, "Dance with me. _One song_. Just so you can say you didn't stand mopping in the corner all night long."

A smile tugged on the corner of her lips, "_One song_."

The DJ scratched the record and spoke into the microphone, "_We're gonna take it down a notch now. Let the lovers sway to a smoother beat._"

_I've had enough of this parade_

_I'm thinking of the words to say_

_We open up, unfinished parts_

_Broken up, it's only love_

Clay twirled Peyton around slowly, pulling her a little bit closer and placing both hands on her waist as they moved along the semi-up tempo beat of the song.

Peyton placed her hands on Clay's broad shoulders, smiling and loosing herself in the pulsing rhythm of the song. It was one of her favorites. Clay noticed her humming along, "What? You know the song?"

She nodded, her blonde curls bouncing. He looked at her expectantly, but she said nothing. "Well…what song is it?"

Peyton looked right into his blue eyes, ""Closer_"_ by Travis."

Clay furrowed his brow and tried to focus on the lyrics, he already liked the beat.

_And when I see you then I know it will be next to me_

_And when I need you then I know you will be there with me_

_I'll never leave you_

_Just need to get closer, closer_

_Lean on me now,_

_Lean on me now_

_Closer, closer_

Clay flashed her his crooked grin, "It's good. I like it."

Before Peyton could answer anything, Rachel popped up behind Clay. She circled her arms around Clay's lean waist, "There you are, handsome. Been looking all over for you." she said, "How about a dance?"

Clay's hands dropped from Peyton's waist and he leaned his head back to look into the redhead's dark brown eyes. "Where'd you leave O?" he asked, "I saw you two '_bumping and grinding'_ when I got in."

Rachel laughed, "Well, you were late. We were just fooling around." She clarified for him, "And you promised me a dance, come on, stupid!" she said playfully as she pulled him away.

"A'ight, let's go, Red." Said Clay as he willingly followed her, "See ya around, Little Scott." He called out to Peyton, never taking his eyes off Rachel's gorgeous body.

Peyton grabbed the nearest cup and downed its contents in a single gulp. A brawny guy, the owner of the cup, yelled something at her, but she ignored it and went off in search of another drink. She'd never stop being Little Scott.

Apparently some things never change.

**AN: So…ended kind of abruptly. Sorry. I blame the large amounts of Nyquil I've ingested and those pills I found in the medicine cabinet and assumed they were Cold & Flu. Tell me what you thought, dudes!**


	4. The Thin Line Between Luke and Nate

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: 'Sup, Dudes! Took me a while 'cause the Muse wasn't flowing, but I beat it into submission to finish this. Oh, and since a few of you have asked, picture the Scott Family like Nathan's alternate reality dream in season 2 (Karen and Dan in a really shitty marriage). Shout out to all my usual and new reviewers 'cause you all are the motivation for the story! Read on…**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

The Thin Line Between Luke and Nate

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke woke up and dragged herself out of bed. She'd gotten in pretty late from Al's last night. The date with Nate was a little awkward at first, but that passed quickly. They'd danced, she'd kicked his ass at darts, and they'd done a few shots and called it a night. It was like any other night they'd spent hanging out before only now they got make out.

And it was _fun_.

She slid on her silk Victoria's Secret robe and walked to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and looked up only to spot both of her roommates (and Jake) waiting for her. Jake and Rachel were sitting on the island Indian style. Jake downed his morning Cheerios with an odd concentration. Rachel filed her nails while absentmindedly browsing a Cosmopolitan. Haley stood in between them carefully sipping from her coffee cup.

"Oh, goody," exclaimed Brooke completely unenthused, "Bombarded by the Interrogation Squad first thing in the a.m."

Haley smiled, "Actually, we like to think of ourselves as more of an Emotional Swat Team." She stated jokingly, "You know, I do the common sense thing…" she pointed to Jake.

Jake looked up from his cereal bowl. "Uh…I actually think we should all butt out. You know, be Switzerland." Haley slammed her elbow into his ribcage. He let out a long groan. "Ouch! I meant I'm here to talk you down." He said through gritted teeth, rubbing his side. "Make sure you don't lash out _physically_ at us." He added staring angrily at Haley.

Brooke snickered, "You're so pussy-whipped, Jake." she raised an eyebrow and glanced at Rachel, "And what do you do?"

Rachel grinned mischievously. "Tough love."

"Figures." Brooke snorted loudly, "Save yourselves the speech. We went to Al's, it's not like I tattooed his name on my ass or agreed to marry him. No serious commitment was made."

Jake laughed, "'Cause _those_ are the two marks of serious commitment: marriage and tattooing his name on your ass."

"Sweetie, it's gonna get messy." Said Haley ignoring Jake's comment, "You're our friend, Nate's our friend, you two are friends…and then there's Luke."

Brooke ran anxious hand through her hair. "Last time I checked, I didn't owe _him _or _you_ _three_ any explanations."

"I just always thought you'd hook up with Luke." mumbled Jake as he shoveled another spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth.

The petite brunette frowned in puzzlement, "How did your mind even go there, Jake? We mix as well as oil and water."

"Hello!" piped in Haley, "Classic playground knowledge. He pulls your hair—or, you know, wrestles you to the ground—and it means he likes you. Plus, there's a thin line between love and hate."

Rachel scoffed, "There's a thin line between _Luke_ and _Nate_." She muttered under her breath, never taking her eyes off the magazine.

At hearing this, three pairs of eyes flew up to stare at the redhead. Though, in all fairness, one was a glare not a stare. "_What_?" exclaimed Jake and Haley.

Rachel closed her magazine. "Just saying…uh, opposites attract. You and Nate think too much alike. I mean, he's hot, but…where's the attraction in dating one your best friends?"

"Oh, now you're just pulling stuff out of your ass." Said Brooke with a glower.

Rachel laughed, "Maybe." She said seriously. "Doesn't make it any less true, does it?"

Before the brunette could retort a clever comeback, her phone started ringing. _1 New Message_.

_**From: 919-555-5016**_

_meet at the varsity. NOW._

"Fucking hell…" Brooke muttered as she shoved the Blackberry back into her robe's pocket. "Just what I needed." She looked up at her 'Emotional Swat Team' and shook her head, "I gotta go…thanks for the intervention, though." She finished sarcastically.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Sigma Chi House**

The Sigma Chi house was the biggest and oldest in Greek Row—it was one of the first fraternities to start at Duke University. The front yard was set up for touch football games and hanging in the sun when summer started coming. The backyard was set up for parties: big metal platform that served as a stage for band performances and an open bar.

Inside, the common room was large and comfortable. Mostly decked out with couches, futons and armchairs—perfect for whenever anyone needed to crash there. Pool table, beer-pong table and—coming soon—a brand new pinball machine, it was the ultimate game room. It had a 59" plasma with surround sound, hooked up to a PS3 and an X-Box Kinect with the greatest collection of games known to man.

Over the fireplace hung a big metal plaque that read **Σ****Χ: TH****Σ**** LAST H****Σ****RO****Σ****S**. Below it there were pictures of Sigma Chi brothers that were deemed to be Sig Legends. Most were members who'd already graduated, including Isaac 'Good-Shot' Kelly, former Sigma Chi President and Owen Morello's Big Bro back when the QB had been a freshman.

The top row was reserved for the mugshots of the first class of Sigma Chi misfits: Blowout, Juice, Hunter, Fez-Head, Thumper, Gumbo, Juggler, Bones, Hands, Danny Impact, Shakes, and Digger.

They'd been the Pledge Class from 1989 who'd become Duke heroes by pulling the ultimate prank: stealing the Silent Sam statue at UNC and placing it inside the Bell Tower. How they'd pulled it off was still a mystery to everyone, which was why they were never officially charged.

The only active members of Sigma Chi that'd made it onto The Wall were Owen Morello and Dean Winchester. Now, what exactly earned you a spot on The Wall was unknown to all. Rumor had it that the secret was passed down from President to President so they could induct whatever active was deemed worthy of the honor. Only one or two from every Pledge Class made it onto The Wall.

It was Nate and Clay's shared ambition to earn a spot up there before leaving Duke.

Clay arrived at the Sigma Chi house to find it strangely quiet and empty. No guys playing touch football out back or basketball out front, no one napping in the living room or fighting over the TV remote or horsing around.

"Yo!" he called out, "Anyone home?"

"Kitchen!" shouted Nate before downing what was left of the milk bottle and placing it empty back in the fridge.

Clay walked into the kitchen and sat down in one of the stool, propping his arms up on the counter. "Where's everyone? This place is, like, _eerie_ quiet. It's giving me the creeps."

"Big O, Dean, Bear and Riggy are down at football practice. I don't even _ask_ what the fuck Basher's doing anymore 'cause just _knowing_ can be illegal. Squeaks, Boomer and Eric are doing a booze run with Wilke. Piz is out typing out my econ theory paper." Answered Nate.

Clay shook his head, "Dude, Piz is your Lil' Bro, not your personal slave."

"He's a Pledge. Same difference. Or do you not remember all the crap Dean made you do when you were pledging?" Nate pulled out a water bottle for himself and tossed one to Clay. "Heard you were feeling up my sister last night." he stated matter-of-factly.

Clay scoffed, "You went out with mine!"

Nate furrowed his brow, "You don't have a sister."

"I have a _Brooke_. I've known her since I was born." Countered Clay, "You went out on a date with her. I had one _dance_ with Peyton. What's the difference?"

"The difference is she's _actually_ my baby sister!" he grumbled, "And I _know_ you Clay. You're a manwhore. Back off, dude."

Clay placed a hand on his chest and groaned as if he were in profound pain, "Ouch! That hurt, Nate. What ever happened to Bros Over Hoes, man?" Nate let out a gruff rumpling snarl, Clay laughed. "Chill, dude, okay. I'm trying to get with Rachel. I just…wanted to be nice to your sister. I thought me dancing with her without either you or your caveman brother beating the shit out of me would help her out a little."

"_Right_." Nate scoffed.

Clay raised an eyebrow and continued, "And speaking of caveman-like behavior, does your brother know you're into the bane of his existence?"

Nate rolled his eyes, "So I like Brooke, what's the big deal? And why is everyone so intent on finding out Luke's reaction?"

"'Cause you and Dimples dating is a really bad idea." stated Clay with an almost businesslike tone.

"How's that even related?" asked Nate frowning.

Clay laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "Have you _seen_ them together? You don't even _need_ a knife to slice the sexual tension between those two. Either they've done it or they want to."

"Are you saying Brooke's fucking Luke?"

"Am I saying she's screwing your brother and going out with you at the same time? No. B doesn't roll like that. She wouldn't disrespect you that way." assured Clay, "Am I saying that there's something…_unresolved—_sexual or not—between her and your brother? I'd put good money on the answer being yes."

"Okay, _Oprah_," Nate sneered, "What do you suggest I do about it?"

Clay shrugged, "Beats the shit out me." he said, "But I suggest asking Dimples about it. She wouldn't lie to you."

At this precise moment, Squeaks, Boomer and Eric walked in with boxes of Patrón, Grey Goose, and Hennessey. Wilke was behind them, struggling to carry a very heavy keg.

Clay grinned at the sight of his Lil' Bro, "Atta boy, Wilke," he teased, "Put some back into it."

Wilke grunted in effort, "Ugh, that is going to be so much funnier when I'm an active." he muttered as he carried the keg out back.

"Play nice with the Pledges, Evans," Owen walked in and threw his gear bag on an empty stool before grabbing a Gatorade from the fridge, "Or have you forgotten that your nickname was _Weasel_?" This prompted Nate to chuckle, "Don't be laughing too much, _Spark Plug_. You were both bottom of the foodchain once, too." Owen always knew how to keep them levelheaded.

Nate shook his head, "Stay the fuck away from my sister." he warned Clay as he left the room clearly agitated.

Clay rolled his eyes, "Avoidance isn't healthy, you know!" he yelled out.

Owen glanced at Clay and then at the spot where Nate had just been standing. "What was that?"

Clay shrugged innocently and slid his Wayfarers down from his hair. "How am I supposed to know?" he asked feigning ignorance, then leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the counter.

Owen Morello was the 6'6 President of the Sigma Chi house. He was the QB 1 of the Duke Blue Devils football team. He beat down on any guy that ever tried to pull a douche-move on Brooke Davis. And right now, he didn't really need to know the tangled details of Brooke's sex life.

That shit would only start more house drama.

"You _always_ know, Evans." Assured Owen, staring intently at the self-important brunette in front of him. No matter what was going on on Greek Row, Clay Evans alway knew what was happening. "Seen Ray today?"

"_Maybe_." Clay offered with a sly leer. He was an ass when he wanted to be.

Owen shook his head and slapped Clay's feet off the counter, "Pompous jackass." He muttered before heading upstairs.

Clay laughed. "You know you love me, O!"

-xx-

**Wednesday****  
The Varsity**

The Varsity was a pub a little far off Duke. Brooke and Luke had found it on their first night as freshmen and never told anyone else about it.

It became their Super Secret Hang Out Spot, when they wanted to hook up and couldn't find a place they met there, had a few drinks and…well, they usually wound up doing it in the backseat of his truck.

As was the norm, Brooke got there late. From the five coffee cups the brooding blonde had in front of him she guessed he'd been here a while. God, all that caffeine would only make him…_more_ hostile.

"Hey, Luke," she said as she sat across from him in the booth.

His long lashes fluttered open, his blue eyes attempting to pierce hers. "What the fuck were you thinking going out with my brother?" he asked punching the table.

"Luke—"

"My fucking brother." He cut her off, "That is such a slutty move. Does he even know about us? Or are you planning on just never telling him?"

Brooke stopped him before he went any further. "There is no _us_! I put an end to it on Saturday. Or what did you think that meant? That'd I'd call you later so we could hook up?" She stood up, "It doesn't work like that."

Luke tried to remain even-tempered. But screw being composed. She didn't get to walk out and just decide that the conversation was over. He ran outside and whirled her around, forcing her against the wall. "That's it! That's all you gotta say!" he shouts without releasing the grip he has on her arm.

"Get off me!" she hissed venomously.

Luke's scowl was enough to paralyze her. "I'm not _done_."

"Well, I am!" she snapped, yanking her arm away from him, "You and I, we're nothing but a good fuck. A one-night stand that was too good to end. But I'm ending this. _Now_."

He let out deep mocking sneer, "For what?" he scoffs, "For _Nate_?"

"Jesus, what is this about!" she shrieked in desperation. "Is it because I went out with Nate or is it because I went out with someone period? 'Cause the possessive ass bit is getting old."

He frowned, "Are you screwing Nate?"

"We went out on _one_ date." Brooke snorted in sheer disbelief, "No, I'm not screwing him… Have you even talked to him?"

Luke leered, "I'm not talking to Nate."

Brooke snorted. "In a mature I-haven't-seen-him way or in a pre-school I-am-_literally_-not-talking-to-him way?"

"A little bit of both as of late." He answered with a shrug and a petulant expression.

"Figures." she huffed attempting to push her way out of the corner Luke had backed her into.

"Oh, stop trying to run away like a scared little bitch!" Luke demanded, "That's all you fucking do lately! Fighting with you used to be enthralling, now you just walk away. Stop it!"

"'Cause the game's over now."

Luke tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. Blue eyes met hazel eyes, "Game's not over till I say it is." His mouth was now hovering dangerously close to hers. "Don't act like you don't wanna play." He lifted a hand to stroke the side of her face teasingly and when she leaned slightly into his touch, he scoffed. "Don't act like you don't want _me_."

And that's enough to snap Brooke back to reality. "Funny." She said, her tone sharp, "Since you're the one who keeps calling me, how is it that I'm the one who wants you?"

"You always come." He sneered, giving her a quick once over, "And I do mean that in _both_ ways."

"True." She conceded with a nod. "But then again I'm not calling you now. I'm calling _Nate_." She could tell it hurt and she's pleased with herself because that's just what she wanted. His momentary shock is enough for her to shove him out of her way, "Have fun playing by yourself, Luke."

He grabbed her once more and when her glare met his eyes he dropped her arm in an attempt to keep it civil. "Look, I'm done with the snippy one-liners and the sarcasm. For once, let's cut the bull and spell it out. You're either '_dating_' Nate or you're fucking me? And you _know_ it can't be both. Which is it?"

She licked her lips. "I went out with Nate and I'm done with you. Doesn't mean I'm automatically dating him."

"Why don't you just date me, then?" the words came out mumbled and he averted her eyes.

Brooke froze. Had Luke Scott actually asked her if she wanted to date him? That was so not like them. That was the exact opposite of them. They didn't have feelings for each other. They didn't even like each other. "I can't date you." she answered with a frown. "I don't even like you…nor you me. And I'm not masochistic enough to go into a relationship like that." And with that she walked over to her car and left.

Luke stood there dumbfounded. What the fuck was Brooke Davis doing to him?

Brooke walked away cursing herself silently. What the hell had just happened? What the hell had she just done? She was threading the line between Luke and Nate, and it turned out Rachel was right…

It was pretty damn thin.

-xx-

**Wednesday****  
****Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke felt like everything she knew was changing. It was like the world had turned upside down. Her booty-call supposedly wanted to be her boyfriend. Her best friend and his brother wanted to date her.

Nate she trusted, and at least he got her.

With Luke she didn't know what to think. Sometimes it was like he could read her mind, others it was like he didn't know her at all.

She walked into her apartment wanting nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep the day off. But, as Mick Jagger once said, _you can't always get what you want_.

Nate was sitting on her couch with Jake and Rachel. "This another intervention?" she asked as she threw her purse on an empty stool.

Jake cleared his throat loudly, "Say, Rach, wanna go get a head start on that project?"

Rachel shook her head, laughing at his complete lack of subtlety. "Sure, lets go to the library." She said as they both stood and left the apartment.

Nate let out a sigh, "My, aren't they crafty?" he asked, his voice dripping sarcasm. "Look, I just wanted to talk to you. No big deal."

"Shoot." She said, flopping herself down on the armchair across from him.

He chuckled, "Rumors of our date seem to be spreading like wildfire."

"Word's out, huh?" asked Brooke with a small smile.

"You know, there's, like, five different versions floating around." Said Nate, "One of which includes a threesome between you, me and Rachel."

Brooke laughed. The rumor mill at Duke was way too similar to the one in High School. How it was that in a college of thousands most people wanted to talk about her was beyond her.

Nate rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, listen, everyone seems to have only question when it comes to me and you. Luke." he sighed, "So I guess I'm just asking you. Going after you, is it stepping on Luke's toes? He's my brother, B, and I don't wanna disrespect him like that."

"Luke's not my boyfriend. Never has been." She exhaled deeply, "There was something there, but I ended it…_before_ going out with you. I don't want you to disrespect your brother either, Nate."

Nate stood up and looked down at her.

Brooke stood up looked back at him. "You're my friend, Nate. And that always comes first. If you want to back off, I get it."

He took a step closer to her, placing her hands on her waist. "Want me to back off?" he asked seriously.

Brooke let out a small laugh, "I don't even _know_ what I want."

"Luke's gonna be pissed at me." he said matter-of-factly, "And you got it right the first time, we really shouldn't. I mean…he's my brother, you know?"

"I know." Brooke nodded.

Nate closed his eyes and sighed, "But I like you. And we're only hanging out…maybe making out." He added with a chuckle. "I can handle Luke if you can handle Luke."

Brooke looked into his blue eyes and felt weird. "I can always handle Luke." she lied. She'd never been able to handle Luke. That's why they'd lasted as long as they did. 'Cause they couldn't handle each other easily and that was what made it interesting.

If she was honest with herself…she'd admit that she liked it.

"Then lets go out again." he offered, "Tomorrow after the game?"

"Nate…I don't think I can." She said sadly. "You're my friend. I don't wanna ruin that. And I do like you, I just don't know if it's the right kind of attraction. Dating the best friend is kind of a cop out."

"I thought Clay was your best friend." Nate smirked, trying to keep it light.

"So_ not_ the point." she said with a smile. "I'm not gonna get in between brothers. Besides," She jumped up to kiss his forehead, "I'm sure you can do better than me."

Even as she was turning him down, Brooke Davis had a way of charming him. "I don't think being with you could be a cop out. But I am man enough to take rejection without lashing out." He said, "I'll see ya, B."

And with that he was gone…when did everything get so fucking complicated?

-xx-

**Thursday  
Great Hall  
Duke University**

As usual, Clay was cutting it close for soccer practice. He cut through the cafeteria on his way to field. His cleats hung around his neck, and his fluorescent yellow goalie shirt attracted a lot of stares and half of the females in the cafeteria paused to say hello and drop an overly friendly kiss on his cheek.

Duke was most definitely a basketball college, but ever since Clayton Evans and Duke Orsino had gotten in, soccer had started getting some of the spotlight, too.

Clay spotted Peyton alone at a table. She was reading the latest _Rolling Stone_ with an intense focus. He thought it was cute and decided to say hi. He tiptoed over to her and tickled her side.

Peyton jumped up startled, "God! You should try wearing a bell around your neck if you're gonna sneak up on people like that."

Clay threw his gym bag on an empty chair and sat across from her. "And you should try smiling more." He said with a wide grin, "Guys don't dig the doom and gloom emo vibe. We like happy girls."

"Yeah, 'cause that's what I want…to impress all the shallow boys with my pretty, pretty smile."

Clay just chuckled, "So, I've been thinking," he said with a serious tone, "I'm either calling you Green Eyes or Legs…can't make up my mind about which, though."

"Well, Green Eyes I get," said Peyton, "Why Legs?"

"You got nice legs…" he explained with a shrug, "I wouldn't mind having them wrapped around me." he added with a lopsided grin.

"Are you…_flirting _with me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Clay grinned, "Maybe."

"Why?"

He scoffed as if the answer were obvious. "I flirt. It means I like ya." He said as if it were a scientific fact. "And, you know, that you're aesthetically pleasant to my eyes. Most girls take it as a compliment. Hell, they even _enjoy_ it."

A 6'7 buzz cut blonde wolf-whistled and shouted, "Evans! Practice, move it!"

"Be right there, Orsino. Relax." Clay stood up and slung his blue bag over his shoulder. "Legs." He declared with a swift nod, finally making up his mind on a nickname for her. Peyton looked up and met his eyes. He grinned, "I'll see ya."

-xx-

**Thursday  
West Campus  
Duke University**

Brooke Davis was strolling along the courtyard on her way to the gym when she spotted her favorite study buddy.

"Alexander!" she called out as she walked over to him, "Hey, handsome, how you doing?"

The Aussie blonde looked up from the book he was reading. "Brooke Davis."

She winked at him, "Talked any girls out of their panties with that accent of yours?"

"Always a charmer, aren't you?"

Brooke lifted a shoulder, "Only when I _really_ need a favor."

"Well, you do make it impossible for people to say no to you."

"Plenty have tried, all have failed." She said with a casual shrug and proud smile.

"What can I do you for, Brooke?" he asked.

"The usual." she said, sitting on the bench next to him. "I skipped class last Thursday. Need notes."

Alexander pulled a notebook out of his messenger bag and handed it to her with a grin, "I aim to please."

Brooke let out a chuckle and threw the notebook in her own bag, "Thanks, 'Xander."

He noticed she was a little upset and immediately knew something was up. "All right, Brookie, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Why do you assume something's wrong?" she asked defensively.

Alexander just sniggered, "You could be glib a little longer or you could just tell me what's wrong. Take your pick."

Brooke leaned back, "Boys suck." She said pouting like a little girl. "How do you know if it's the right attraction? There's the chemistry and the spark, but it can't all be fireworks 'cause then you'd just be blinded."

The blonde chuckled at the question. "Well, there are the people who are right for you on paper and there are the people who are just…_right_. Sometimes the people who are right for you don't want you."

"Or they do and they're just…" Brooke let out a small sigh, "_Wrong_."

Alexander shrugged, "It happens." he told her. "But there is such a thing as so wrong it's _right_."

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Since when are you the wise one?"

"I'm always the wise one." He said laughing, "Now, aren't you late for a game? I saw all the cheerleaders head that way." he said pointing to the gym.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the gym was already starting to fill up. "Crap. I'm late. I'll see you in class, 'kay!" she shouted over shoulder as she jogged towards the gym.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke University**

Tonight was game day, the Duke Blue Devils vs. UNC Tar Heels. It was easily the most important game of the year—the rivalry between UNC and Duke being legendary—and the gym was packed, bleachers overflowed with people. A multitude of black, white and blue shirts made it impossible to discern who was who in the crowd. The team was warming up on the court, the cheerleaders where stretching courtside. Brooke had just arrived to join them.

She took a look at the court and spotted Nate. He made a three-pointer and winked at her. Brooke winked back and gave him the nod. She then continued to scan the court with her eyes.

"He's not here yet." Whispered Clay in her ear from behind her.

"Fuck!" she said placing a hand on her chest, "Why do you always do that? And what are you doing here?"

Clay shrugged, "Thought I'd take in a basketball game." He said throwing popcorn into the air and catching it in his mouth. He glanced over to the left where Rachel and Peyton were stretching, "Maybe check out the cheer squad."

And being best friends with the team's shooting guard meant you always had guaranteed tickets to the games.

Brooke glared at him, "Rachel's fire, Clay." She warned, "Play with her and you're gonna get burned."

"I'm down for the kinky stuff." He said before catching another popcorn in his mouth. "And he's here." He added, nodding towards the entrance where Luke had come in, and taking his spot upfront in the bleachers.

Brooke looked in the direction he pointed. Luke had just walked in, but he looked different. His Mohawk wasn't spiked it was just strewn messily across his forehead, he looked like shit, but the thing that really grabbed her attention was his jersey. More specifically what was missing from it. She turned to Haley, "Hales, where's Luke's C?"

On the upper left-hand corner of his blue jersey you could clearly see the small round mark of a ripped off patch. The little white circle with the big bold **C** that marked Luke as co-captain of the Blue Devils had disappeared.

"You didn't hear? After your WWE match Coach K temporarily suspended Luke's spot. Nate's the captain now." She said after releasing a sigh, "Didn't he tell you?"

"Haven't talked to Nate since Thursday." Answered Brooke, releasing a gulp. She felt a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was pretty sure it was guilt.

Rachel leaned in close to Brooke, "Shake it off, B." She whispered into her ear, "No time for remorse."

And there definitely wasn't. Brooke Davis was too strong for that. She never forced Luke into anything. They'd both made their beds and now it was time to lie in them.

No regrets.

**AN: So…what do you wanna see next? Luke and Nate fight? Any particular hook-up? Tell me whatcha think!**


	5. Who's Got Your Back?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Hey Dudes! Major thanks for all the encouraging reviews! So…plenty of things happen in this chapter, but it's mostly filler, paving the way for the next one (even if I'm not 100% sure what's gonna happen next). Here: ****Luke tries to get even, a flashback, Peyton rebels, some fighting, and…well, read on, dudes.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

Who's Got Your Back?

-xx-

**Friday  
The Varsity**

Brooke wanted to go someplace she wouldn't run into anyone. She wasn't in the mood for chitchat or faking pleasantries. She just wanted to get a few drinks and forget all the crap that'd gone down lately. Granted, it was only three o'clock, but whatever.

She grabbed the nearest empty stool. "Beer." She said, tapping the bar, "Whatever's on tap."

When the occupant of the stool next to her vacated it, she was surprised to see a brooding blonde two stools down. "Luke?" she questioned. His blue eyes rose to meet her hazel ones.

"Davis." He grumbled, downing the last contents of his beer bottle. "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. What brings 'round you to my spot?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "_Your_ spot? We found this place together, Scott. Just as much mine as it is yours." She countered, remembering the first time they both stumbled into this bar.

It felt like a lifetime ago...

-xx-

_They were both too rebellious to actually stay with the crowd who wanted to explore the local pub. He recognized her 'cause of her dulcet laughter and the enormous dimples you could drown in. He walked over to her, "Hey, you were at the freshman thing, right? Over at Duke?"_

_The brunette nodded, "Yup. I remember you. Star basketball player, right?"_

"_That's me." answered Luke with a nod, "What happened, got lost?"_

_Brooke sniggered, "I never get lost. I'm actually gonna go check out other bars, maybe do a pub-crawl."_

"_What? Don't like to follow the crowd?" Luke smirked. "Everyone's going to that nearby place—Al's, I think it's called."_

_Brooke gave him a once over. He was cute. "Look, I can go check out the local pub where everyone hangs out, but I'd rather go find the pub where I can get wasted and hook up with a guy I'm never gonna run into again. I've got a full four years to hang out at Al's." she explained, "In or out, Pretty Boy?"_

"_Definitely in."_

_They went to eight different pubs, talked up a few of the locals and tried a variety of House Shots—Brooke's favorite was the Panty Dropper, and Luke had no problem buying them for her. By the eight bar they were both completely plastered, but decided to do one more pub. Their final stop was The Varsity. It was abnormally loud and everyone was dancing._

"_Pretty Boy, dance with me." she whispered huskily into his ear. He happily agreed. Music blasted throughout the cramped bar. Warm bodies rubbed against warm bodies on the dance floor, the flashing lights only served to heighten Brooke and Luke's inebriated states. They'd spent a shitload of cash on glow sticks and wore them around their arms, necks and wrists. They looked like a damn neon sign._

_They were pushed close together and danced in time along with the beat and each other. Luke let his hands explore every single curve of her luscious body allowing himself to get tangled up in her. Her touch. Her smell. He wanted to immerse himself completely in her._

_Brooke ran her fingernails through his hair and it drove him wild. He wanted to rip her clothes off right then and there. Her slightest touch was enough to send him over the edge. Her moved his hand to touch her porcelain face and pulled her up into an adrenalized kiss. Her lips against his was one of the best rushes he'd ever experienced._

_Luke pulled away for a second. Brooke smiled. "About damn time you stopped brooding over it and did it." she laughed before pulling his face back onto hers._

_They woke up stark naked in the back of his truck and the first thing they did was argue…it had been that way ever since._

-xx-

Luke shrugged, "True." He conceded, signaling the bartender over, "Another drink for the lady." He said pointing to Brooke, "On me."

Brooke furrowed her brow in surprise, "Thanks, Luke." she said, downing it. "How've you been lately? Haven't talked to you in a while."

"What's with you, Davis?" he asked with a frown, "Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"

"I, uh…Hales told me you…" she stuttered.

Luke sneered, "Ah, you feeling guilty 'cause I lost my Captain spot, that it?" he questioned, slightly amused, "Nice to see you _can_ feel something. Don't sweat it, Davis. I'll get my spot back soon enough."

Brooke sighed, "Hey, look, I'm sorry—"

She got cut off by another brunette girl throwing an arm around Luke's shoulder and kissing his cheek. "I'm off, kid." She said, "Let me grab my coat and we'll go."

"Sure thing, doll." Replied Luke, checking out her ass as she walked away.

Brooke frowned, "What the hell?"

"What?" Luke shrugged, "I mean, now that I'm not fucking you on a daily basis, I can fully commit to being a free agent. Means I can tap whoever I want. _Jealous_?"

"Please, _that _girl?" Brooke jeered, "She's given more rides than Greyhound."

Smug smirk in place, Luke scoffed, "Well, you're dating my brother. What's it to ya?" Brooke wanted to screw around with him? Well, that was fine. Two could play that game.

The brunette gave him a once over. Luke threw a twenty on the bar and stood up, leaning down close to whisper in her ear, "I can't wait around for something I can't have. And _you_ shouldn't expect me to. I'll see ya around, Davis."

Brooke sat there, jaw dropped. What in the freaking hell had just happened? A strange feeling coursed through her. It was a strange mixture of anger and indignation. She was pretty sure it was…_jealousy_. But it couldn't be. She didn't want Luke Scott.

Right?

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Rachel sat on the couch watching a VH-1's _Tool Academy 3_ re-run. Just when they were about to begin the catfight, the TV shut off. "What the—" she turned around and spotted her brunette best friend fuming. The redhead sighed, "What's up your ass?"

"I think I might like Luke." Brooke huffed.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "You're a little late coming to that party, aren't you?"

"Okay, Fondle Me Elmo, can you stop the quips?" the brunette said, unamused, "He's an ass and he was, like, totally hitting on this trampy wannabe earlier trying to get me jealous—"

"Nice to see _that_ didn't work." Interrupted Rachel, clearly entertained by the whole conversation. "Look, it's not the end of the world. You like him. Whatever. Go back to your whole friends with benefits thing. It doesn't have to be a big deal or anything."

Brooke sat next to her and pouted, "I don't wanna give him the satisfaction."

"'Cause that's making you such a pleasant girl." Scoffed Rachel, "Seriously, Sexually Repressed Brooke is no fun. Just go back to letting Luke scratch that itch. No harm, no foul."

"Right, you think I'm gonna go crawling back to him to see if he wants me?" Brooke rhetorically questioned, "In his wet dreams."

Rachel checked her watch and stood up, "Then deal with it. Don't complain. And I gotta go, I've got a class."

The redhead exited the apartment. Brooke leaned back and put her feet up on the coffee table. She let out a long groan. Since when did Luke Scott get to her?

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke had been avoiding Nate for the past three days. Granted, Nate wasn't exactly calling him to set up play dates, but they usually talked regularly. He hadn't seen Luke since the game and he figured it was time to have it out and clear the air.

Clay stopped in front of the Phi Delt driveway. "Explain to me again why I'm here?" he asked Nate.

"_Because_." Nate said shrugging as if the word encompassed an in depth explanation. "And you're my boy, Clay." He extended a fist for him to bump, "Right?"

Clay looked at the fist and then back at Nate. "Right." he sighed, bumping it, "I got your back, man."

They entered the large house and looked around. Luke wasn't anywhere in sight.

Clay nudged Nate, "What's your sister doin' here?" he asked nodding towards the living room.

Nate just shrugged, "I dunno." He said, "I'm gonna see if I can find Luke."

"I'll wait in the living room." Said Clay.

Clay jumped over the couch and landed next to Peyton, "'Sup, Legs." He said smiling, "Whatcha doin' here?"

Peyton pulled off her headphones, "Checking in on Luke. He's messed up lately and I have no idea why."

"And you thought a visit from Lil' Sis would make it all better?" he asked mockingly.

"_Ass_!" she exclaimed playfully shoving him, "Doesn't matter anyways, he hasn't come out of his room and I'm not going in there. He's been on a fuck-athon and I am not risking walking in to find him naked with today's Flavor Of The Week. Don't need that psychological damage."

"Nate's here. He should be down in just a minute." He said pointing to the lobby. "You can go check it out."

She stood up and started to leave, but Clay grabbed her thigh and stopped her. "What?" she asked with a glower.

"Leave the iPod." Clay flashed her a grin, "I get bored without ya, Legs."

Peyton raised an eyebrow skeptically. She didn't trust her iPod to just anyone. "Come on, you know you can trust me." he said winking.

She tossed him the iPod and he let go of her, "Thanks, Legs."

Peyton walked into the lobby and found her brothers already screaming at each other. "This oughta be good." She muttered to herself as she sat on the stairs to watch them.

"You're pathetic, man, screwing my leftovers? That's _sad_."

"Oh, Luke, spare me that crap! You never told me you were into her. Don't go acting all self-righteous now and getting all in my face for going after someone you didn't even bother to say was off limits." Nate scoffed, "And I didn't even sleep with her, dude."

Luke just sneered, "Figured you couldn't get there. Brooke only likes real men." He snorted, "_Little_ _bro_ obviously wasn't gonna do it for her. Not like _I _can." Nate frowned confused, "Aw, B didn't tell ya?"

"What the hell!" Nate scowled, "You been fucking Brooke?"

"Yeah, over a year now." Luke just smirked, "Looks like you're always just gonna be number two." He said shoving Nate with both hands.

Peyton stood up, "Whoa!" she said standing in between them, "You've been fucking Brooke Davis?"

"Stay out of this, Peyt." Nate said through gritted teeth, "It isn't about you."

Peyton scoffed, "My ass it isn't!" she yelled into Nate's face, "That girl's a bitch, she gets off on making my life miserable." She turned to face Luke, "And you've been screwing her? The fuck is it about her? Is she extra bendy, does she do some sort of freaky Kama Sutra shit? Bonds & whips? What's the secret! 'Cause Brooke Davis is just a _whore_!"

"Don't talk about her like that!" they both roared at her.

Peyton crossed her arms over her chest. "She's beneath you."

"Actually, she's only been beneath one of us." Said Luke cockily. " How's it feel to always be my number two, _bro_?"

Nate flashed him that cocky smirk of his, "Not always, right?" he said, "I mean, B actually went out with me. She never did that with you. Oh, and what was that other little thing? You're about one step away from being benched and I'm sitting pretty being the team Captain. But then again some are born to lead. Others are just the _followers_."

That hit a nerve. Luke wasn't sure if it was the fact that he dared talk to him about Brooke or the fact that he'd just thrown him losing his Captain spot in his face. Either way, he wasn't having it. Luke pushed Peyton out of the way and swung his fist in a roundhouse at his brother's jaw putting all his weight behind it.

_Pow_!

Nate went down like a log.

Peyton's hand covered her mouth in a shocked manner.

Nate got up rubbing his soon to be bruised jaw and proceeded to ram into Luke, pinning him down and punching him back. Luke rolled him off and they began grappling, hitting each other randomly. Ribs. Back. Stomach. They were throwing punches blind, hitting each other wherever they could.

Peyton was used to separating her brothers, but she could tell this was more than she was used to handling. She ran to the living and dragged Clay out.

Clay frowned, "What the hell?"

"Just break them up!" Peyton shrieked.

Clay pulled Nate off and got a good grip on him. Then he shoved Luke back against the wall in attempt to put some distance between them. Luke and Nate glowered at each other, breathing heavily.

Still holding Nate back he turned to Peyton, "What the fuck's going on, Legs?"

"Whoa, man, what did you just call her?" Luke asked as he shoved Clay. "Don't you know my baby sister's off limits to fuckers like you?"

"I am not a damn kid!" Peyton shrieked loudly, "I'm all grown up and I decide who's off limits with me. You two don't get a say!" She walked up to Clay and grabbed his face pulling him down into a kiss. Clay's eyes shot open wide as she drove her tongue in his mouth. "You can call me whatever you want." She said pulling away and staring fiercely into his eyes.

"Dude, what the fuck!" blurted out Nate as he slapped Clay's arm. "And Peyt, quit acting like a hoe! What _was_ that?"

Peyton slapped Nate for the comment.

_Bam_!

Luke's right fist slammed into Clay's gut and he bent over in pain attempting to catch his breath.

Nate's hand balled up into a fist and he swung at his brother's face, hitting his left eye.

Luke, in turn, hit him straight on right in the middle of his chest.

-xx-

Owen walked into the Phi Delt house, Skills in tow, to find two of his brothers—Nate and Clay, the usual troublesome duo—rolling on the floor with Luke.

The brooding blonde was trying to take on both brunettes. All three throwing hits and going round and round in circles. And then there was Peyton who, it seemed, was throwing kicks at random, attempting to hit either of her brothers and cursing them out.

The tall Quarterback wasted no time in separating them. Skills handled Luke and Peyton.

Owen was restraining Clay and Nate, "The fuck's wrong with you two?" he barked, "You _know_ this isn't how we handle our business!"

Skills was body-checking Luke with one arm pressed firmly against his chest, his other hand gripping Peyton's arm. "Chill out, dawg." He told Luke harshly, and then turned to Peyton. "Yo, P, stop talkin' smack, ma. Ya only makin' it worse, baby girl, and we don't need nobody else gettin' physical."

Logan Echolls, the Phi Delta Theta President, made his way downstairs and looked around at the scene in front of him taking it all in. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Everyone looked up and spotted Logan.

He skipped down the last three steps and stood before Owen. "Morello." He said shaking the brunette's hand firmly, "What brings you around?"

"Well, I came here to talk to you about the Intramurals next week," Owen stated, "But when I got here your boy over there"—he pointed to Luke—"was trying to simultaneously beat the shit out of Dumb & Dumber over here." He nodded towards Clay and Nate. "And I don't know what Little Scott's got to do with any of this, but she was trying to get a few good hits in, too."

Logan sighed, "Let's step into my office then." He said nodding towards the den, "See if we can get to the bottom of this." He looked at Skills, "You got him?" he asked, gesturing towards Luke. Skills nodded.

Owen threw Nate his keys, "Wait in the car." He turned to Clay, "Evans, you're coming with us, too." Clay nodded and walked after Logan. You didn't disobey Owen when he was pissed.

When they were out of sight Skills let go of Luke, "Man, Luke, what was that?"

Luke said nothing so Skills turned to Peyton, "Shorty, are _you_ gonna tell me what went down?"

Luke flashed her a warning look signaling her to shut up. "Luke's fucking Brooke. You can add Nate into that. Fist fight."

"Damn it, Peyt, I swear if you don't shut—"

Skills cut him off. Luke had way too short a fuse. "P, just bounce, 'kay?" he said. "I got your brother."

With a final scowl directed towards her brother, the curly haired blonde walked out of the house.

Skills glanced at his friend, "You fuckin' Brooke? Brooke _Davis_?" Luke just looked away. Skills sighed, "Fuckin' hell…"

-xx-

Logan jumped up and sat on the big oak desk, his heels kicking it absentmindedly. "Why are Mary-Kate and Ashley not getting along?" he inquired, staring Clay down.

Clay just looked away, unsure of what to answer. Logan Echolls was cool, but house business was house business and he wasn't going to step out of line by saying more than he had to.

Owen crossed his arms over his broad chest. He glared at Clay seriously. "Start talking, Evans." his low tone made it clear that it was an _order_, not a request.

"I don't know anyth—"

"Bullshit! You _always_ know, Evans!" Owen interrupted, slamming his fist down on the table to punctuate his words. This wasn't brother Owen asking—this was Head of House, Big Owen Morello _telling:_ "And I'm not about to drag my house into a sibling rivalry so whatever it is, spit it out."

Clay rolled his eyes, "I don't know!" he howled. "Fight was already going when I stepped in. I had nothing to do with it." He wasn't going to throw either Nate or Brooke under the bus if he could help it. He knew nothing.

Logan and Owen exchanged looks, and Owen shook his head. "Luke was throwing punches your way, man. You're in it somehow. Stop trying to cover Nate's ass and spill." Demanded Owen.

"They're fighting 'cause of Brooke." Clay surrendered, "They both made a play for her or something... I don't know."

"_Figlio di puttana_!" cursed Owen in Italian—and Clay knew this was bad 'cause Owen only reverted to his mother tongue when he was _really_ pissed off. "What's that girl getting into?"

"Where does Brooke stand?" asked Logan. It was simple, really. If she was with Nate, then she stood with Sigma Chi—which meant the Phis would back off. If she was with Luke, then she stood with Phi Delta Theta—which meant the Sigs would step down.

But of course, it wasn't that simple. Brooke Davis was a Sigma Chi girl. That wasn't something that could be easily undone.

"As far as I know, she dumped them both." Clay frowned defensively, "What's it to you anyways, Echolls?"

"Look, I like B. And you_ know_ we go way back. I got no problems with her." assured Logan, "You keep your boy in check and we'll have no trouble."

Owen stepped in, "Brooke's a Sigma Chi girl." He said, towering over Logan. He made the statement with full confidence. Brooke was theirs. "I can keep Nate in check. Lets go, Clay."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Owen had driven Nate back to the house. Clay took the opportunity to drive over to Brooke's. Owen had just vouched for her, but Clay wasn't so sure. He knew the tiny brunette well and he could tell that Luke Scott wasn't just one of her flings.

And he needed to be sure where Brooke stood.

"I need you to stand up with Sigma Chi at the Intramurals." Clay said without so much as a greeting while extended her the blue-and-yellow shirt with the **ΣΧ** across the chest.

Brooke sighed, "Cheer Squad isn't affiliated with the Greeks, Clay. That means we don't sponsor Greek Row activities. You want your own personal cheerleaders, go find a sorority." She began to close the door, but Clay's foot stopped her.

"I'm not asking for the squad, I'm asking for _you_." he clarified, thrusting the shirt at her again. This was about making sure it was clear where Brooke belonged.

"I didn't join a sorority precisely to avoid this shit. Jake and Luke on one side and you and Nate on another?" Brooke said, "I'm not taking sides in a pointless pissing contest."

"Hey! This isn't about who you're sleeping with, Dimples." he told her seriously, "This is about _you and me_. I've known you for nineteen years. I've held your hair back when you've thrown up. I've been there for you when Victoria bitched you out or when your dad just didn't bother to show up. We made it through boarding_and _prep school together. _You_'re my family. And I need you to stand up with me." he sighed, "You got my back?" he asked extended the shirt to her once more.

Brooke took the shirt and shrugged, "I _always _got your back." She sighed, "Come in. What the hell happened to your face?"

Clay plopped himself down on the couch. "Your boy toys and I got in a fight."

Brooke handed him a cold Corona and he pressed it against his bruised jaw. Brooke joined him on the couch and they both stared at thin air for a while, sipping their beers quietly. She refrained from asking questions that she wasn't sure she wanted answered. Like why did you and Luke, and possibly Nate, get in a fight?

Rachel walked in and dropped her bags in the kitchen. "Grocery shopping's done." She said to no one in particular.

She went into the living room and sat in between them, and then she grabbed Clay's beer and finished it. "What's wrong with you two?"

Complete silence.

Rachel looked at Brooke's face for any sign of something being wrong. Then she turned to Clay and noticed his cut lip, forming black eye, and bruised jaw. "Shit!" she exclaimed, her hands reaching to touch his wounds. "The fuck happened to your face?"

Clay moved his face away brusquely, "It's nothin'. I'm fine, Red."

Rachel grabbed a napkin and wiped some of the blood off. "Bullshit. Come on. I'm putting something on it." She stood up and grabbed his arm, pulling him up, too.

Clay yanked his arm away from her, "Jesus! I said it's fuckin' fine—" The redhead pressed the napkin against his cut harder, causing him to wince.

Rachel Gatina very rarely tried to take care of others. And she didn't take it kindly when her offer to help was turned down so harshly. "_I'm putting something on it_." she repeated, punctuating every word. "Quit being a whiny little bitch about it, Clay," she hissed, "Just shut up," she shoved him towards the bathroom, "I'll clean out the cut, and get some ice-packs on those bruises. Don't worry, you'll still be pretty tomorrow."

Brooke stood up, too. "I'll leave you two alone. I trust Rae's got this." she said, "I'm gonna go hang at Al's or something."

-xx-

Clay just told Rachel he took a few hits when he was trying to stop a fight. No big deal.

Of course, Rachel saw right through that lie, and eventually beat the details out of him.

Hell hath no fury like a Rachel Gatina pissed off.

Clay's phone went off. _1 New Message._

_**From: Big O**_

_house meeting in 10.  
be there, evans._

He slammed it closed. "I gotta go, babe" He said as he stood up.

Rachel grabbed the hem of his shirt until his face was intensely close to hers. She threw her other arm around his neck, her lips barely grazing his. Clay leaned in the rest of the way, lifting his hands up to cup her face as he explored her mouth. He moaned and scooped her up until their bodies meshed together.

His lip and jaw hurt from the friction, but it was worth it.

They clumsily made their way to the door, attempting not to break the kiss and laughing into each other's mouth. Rachel got it open and Clay stumbled backwards, bumping into someone.

"Sorry," he said breaking away from Rachel and turning around. "Oh…hey, Peyt." he said awkwardly when he saw Little Scott standing behind him.

Peyton scoffed. "_Figures_." she snorted, and looked at Rachel, "Tell Haley I stopped by." She said before walking away.

Clay considered going after her, but opted against it. Sure, he liked her. She was limber, was nice when she wasn't being a bitch—definite fucking-material. But Rachel was bound to be a better lay.

And baby sisters where one place he knew he wasn't allowed to go. He'd already gotten hit for it once today. "I'll see ya later, Red." He said turning to Rachel and pecking her lips once more before running down the stairs.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

Brooke walked into Al's and went straight for the bar. "Shot of Patrón, Al." she immediately ordered. Getting piss-drunk seemed like an excellent plan right now.

"We seem to be doing this a lot lately." Said an already drunk Luke from behind her. "Mm…you smell _good_." He added, leaning down close to her neck and nibbling it. "And you taste even better."

Brooke let out a soft moan, "So I guess that girl didn't taste as good as you made it look the other day."

Luke scoffed, "Come on, Cheery." He said huskily, "It's all just a game anyways. I wanted to make you jealous." He sighed, "I only want _you_. And you got me like a fucking dog chasing after your tail. That's fine. I can play your games for a little while, but I ain't gonna wait for you forever."

Brooke finally turned around to face him. She winced when she saw his bruised face. "Luke," she blurted out, delicately running her hand over his bruised cheek and blackened eye, "God, this from the fight with Clay?"

He scoffed, "And _Nate_." He clarified.

"Oh, Luke…" she whispered, "Why do you have to be such an ignorant ape all the time? You know, everything _doesn't_ have to turn physical."

Luke licked his swelled lips. "Where's the fun in that?" he asked, downing another shot, "Besides, Nate had it coming…trying to get with _my_ woman."

Brooke scoffed, but couldn't help a small smile, "Since when am I your woman?" she asked, "And what did Clay even have to do with it?"

"Please, you've been my woman ever since that first night I laid eyes on you." he said as he placed a hand on her waist and brought the other up to cup her face, "How long you gonna leave me hanging?"

"Luke, I—" Luke interrupted her by crashing his bruised lips against hers, kissing her so hard that it actually hurt.

"I don't wanna play." He mumbled against her lips. "You're practically turning me into your bitch here and I'm still coming around. What's it gonna take, Davis?" The admission was one he'd only make while drunk.

Brooke didn't really know what to answer. Instead, she did what she knew best. "You car here?" she asked, kissing him again.

He chuckled. "At least you always _want_ me. Can't say you're not consistent."

Brooke dragged him by his belt loops into the backseat, desperately attempting to get him out of his jeans. It had been over a week since they last hooked up and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't missed his touch. 'Cause no one did it for her quite like he did…

Even if it killed her to admit it.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

Clay walked into his bedroom after the house meeting wanting to just crash. Nate was lying on his bed throwing a basketball into the air. "Long day, huh?" he asked casually as he shrugged off his leather jacket.

Nate just continued tossing the basketball. "What, man, you're not talking to me now?" asked Clay. "Dude, come on! I had you back in there. Your brother nearly broke my jaw!"

Nate sat up, "No, my brother nearly broke your jaw 'cause you were going after my sister! I told you to back off, Clay."

"I did!" Clay yelled, "I wasn't going after her, man. I thought you were with me, I mean you swung at Luke after he swung at me—"

"Nah, I took a swing at Luke because our fight wasn't done." Nate cut him off, "It wasn't about you."

Clay sighed, "Oh, come on! You know I wouldn't make a play for your sister without telling you. And what about all that stuff that O just said at the meeting?" He asked, echoing on what the older brunette had commented.

_It's about brotherhood. We call each other brothers because we are more than friends. A friendship may be transient, but brotherhood lasts a lifetime. The friendships, which substitute family during college, serve to create what Sigma Chi is all about: a _new_ kind of family._ That's_ what you're here for. Who's fuckin' who this week ain't gonna change that. And you all need to know and understand that fact._

"O was just padding the house line." Countered Nate, "He wants us all to stick together and he wants to avoid any conflict with the Phis. He said what he _needed_ to say to keep the peace in-house, and with the other houses on Greek Row."

Clay scoffed in disbelief, "Nate, will you fucking come off it! This isn't about me and it sure as hell isn't about Legs. This is about you being pissed at Luke. Why are you so hell-bent on taking it out on me?"

Nate stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder, "Screw you, Clay." He hissed, "I'm outta here."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

It was three am when the younger Scott brother violently banged on the small apartment door. He was only slightly drunk.

"Jesus, I'm coming! Keep your pants on!" an annoyed voice called from inside.

The door opened and both brunettes stared at each other. "Hey, Nate." Said Brooke, "Babe, what's wrong?" she asked concerned.

Nate sighed, "I need a place to crash, B."

"Come in." Brooke opened the door fully and stepped aside, "Rae and I can share my bed, you can have the couch."

Nate laughed drunkenly and pulled her in for a hug. "Thanks, B. I _owe_ ya."

"Anytime." Brooke patted his back, attempting to be soothing, "That's what friends are for, Nate."

'_Great!'_ Brooke thought, _'Because things aren't complicated enough.'_

**AN: So…bad news. I've got a ton of homework to catch up on and I'm gonna be out of town till Tuesday which means the next update might be a little late, but I promise it'll be a good one. Read & Review, dudes.**


	6. Picking Teams

Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Dudes! It's been a long-fucking-while…I went out of town and had a shit load of schoolwork, but that's no excuse. Not updating is a pretty douche move and I will **_**try**_** not to do it again. Anyways, here is the next chapter. It's kinda rushed 'cause I wanted to get it up. I'll try to get the next one up soon..**_**ish**_**. OH! And a shout out to all the new readers. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the ride. To all my usual reviewers, let me know whatcha think!**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

Picking Teams

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke carefully closed the door to her room so as not to wake the now sleeping Rachel (seeing that she got up bitching because Brooke had dragged her out of her comfy couch bed at three-freaking-am).

She proceeded to walk over to the stool where she had parked the inebriated Nate. "All right, big guy." She said as she helped him up, "Your bed's all set up, let's get you in it."

Nate threw an arm around her as she led him towards the couch. "You always got my back, B." he said laughing, "But see, what I don't get is why you would go out with me if were screwing Luke. I mean, he's, like, my brother…and…uh, what was I saying?" he asked, momentarily forgetting what he was talking about. Damn that _José Cuervo, _he always made Nate so forgetful.

Brooke sighed and set him down on the couch, "Why I went out with you." she informed him as she untied his black Chucks and threw them aside.

"Right." he said nodding, "Why would you go out with me when you had a thing with Luke?" he asked, and looked up to lock his eyes with hers, "So why'd you do it, B?"

"I thought I was done with Luke." the brunette sighed, "And I like you, Nate. You're my friend and I just thought…why not?"

Nate grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bed, she rolled her eyes and cuddled up next to him. _This_ they'd done plenty of times before. "It's okay, Brooke." He said throwing an arm around her, "You and me? _Probably_ not my best idea."

Brooke laughed and sat up, "Why are you here?" she asked, "And why are you fighting with Clay? What was it that was bad enough for you to flee the Sig house? That's your home. The guys are your family."

"Where else am I gonna go? The Delt house? They're not so _keen_ on me since I beat up their star basketball player. Big disrespect. And family protects family, so I'm pretty much not welcome there." he stated with a shrug, "And Clay's…a douche. He, like, _totally _crossed a line. Sisters are off limits. The Guy Code and all that crap…"

The brunette cocked an eyebrow, "Sisters?" she asked, "As in Little Scott?" she scoffed, "Clay would so _not_ go there."

"Well, he did..." Nate said, letting his voice trail off, "Or he wants to." he sighed, "Sing our song, B... _Please_, Sunny. For _me_."

Brooke laughed and started, "_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._ _You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."_

Nate said nothing and when she turned back to check he was asleep, snoring lightly. "Nighty night, Nate." She said giggling. At least she and Nate appeared to be back to normal.

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke entered the kitchen early. It was Monday, which meant that Jake should be there with coffees all around. That was the routine: Jake crashed there Tuesdays, Thursdays and the weekend; on Mondays and Wednesdays he came by early with coffee for the ladies.

But today instead, Jake was sitting on one side of the island intently reading the morning paper and Nate was on the opposite side browsing through one of Rachel's gossip magazines. Neither acknowledged her presence.

"Odd." Commented the brunette to herself, arching her eyebrows. "Hey Jay-Jay, where's my coffee at?" she asked Jake playfully.

The door to Haley's room opened violently, "Apartment meeting." she said seriously.

Brooke frowned confused. What the hell was an apartment meeting and since when did they need to have those? Haley rolled her eyes, "Get your butt in here, Tigger!"

Rachel was strewn on Haley's bed, yellow highlighter in hand as she read her psych textbook. Haley sat on the edge of the bed and gave Brooke a stern look.

"O…kay, what is going on?" asked Brooke, "And what's the deal with Jake? He totally gave me this really weird vibe—"

"Oh, Jake's suddenly decided to act like a four-year-old and is" —she raised her fingers to make air quotes— "_'not talking to Nate'_ because of the way he '_disrespected Luke_' and _ 'that shit ain't cool'—_and I swear to god that if I hear any more about Luke being his boy, I am going to _hit_ him!" she let out a breath, "But that is so _not_ the point. Brooke Penelope Davis, you have been sleeping with Luke Scott!"

Rachel smirked, "Ooh, she just middle named you, Penny D. Now you _know_ she means business."

Both females turned to glare at the redhead. "Oh my—you _knew_, didn't you!" accused Haley before turning to Brooke, "She knew?"

Brooke exhaled exasperated. She was getting tired of these early morning ambushes. "I, uh—she figured it out! Rachel has, like, Brooke-dar. The whore can read me like a damn book!"

"Don't hate, B." called out Rachel as she continued to read her textbook.

Haley sighed, "Why didn't you just tell me, Brooke?" she asked, "I mean, I love you and I love Luke and there would've been no judgment."

"Actually, there would've been some pretty big judgment when she also tried to get with Nate." Commented Rachel matter-of-factly.

Brooke huffed, "Okay, you're either gonna be a productive part of the conversation or you're gonna just shut the hell up, Rachel. Which is it?"

Rachel closed her book and stood up. "She likes Luke. It was a fling, but it's not anymore. She likes him. And now Nate's on the couch because, no matter what, he's your friend and you're not gonna walk out on him. Then again, you're not gonna tell Luke you actually like him, either. So you're pretty much screwed either way 'cause Nate's gonna be disappointed if you turn your back on him and Luke's gonna be pissed when he finds out that now Nate's the one who gets to have the sleepovers." she slung her backpack on her shoulders, and turned to Haley, "That's it in a nutshell, Hales. I gotta go now, I gotta test in half an hour."

Brooke fell back on the bed and groaned loudly, putting a pillow over her head. "Hales, please spare me the lecture. I know I've let this spiral out of my control…I'm trying to handle it, though."

Haley lied down next to her and removed the pillow from her best friend's head. "Tigger, I know you can handle it. You always push through, you're strong like that." she assured her and then sighed, "So, you really like Luke or was that Rach lashing out?"

The brunette placed the pillow over her head again, and grunted: "I think I _actually_ like him."

Haley giggled and took the pillow away once more, "Brooke and Luke sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" she sang teasingly, "That's cute! Kind of twisted seeing as all you two do is fight, but cute. My girl BF and my boy BF dating…it's kind of perfect, actually."

Brooke burst out laughing, "Oh, I love you, Hales." She said, hugging her friend tightly.

"Aw, I love you, too, Tigger." Returned Haley, hugging the brunette back.

-xx-

Soon after Rachel left for class, Nate followed. Then Hales went off leaving only Jake and Brooke. Jake sat on the couch watching a game he'd saved on the DVR. Brooke plopped herself next to him and hit the pause button on the remote.

"Jay-Jay, are you mad at me?"

Jake sighed, "Look, B, I don't know what went on through your head when you started the whole thing with Luke and Nate. And I don't wanna know. It was just uncool." he shook his head, "And now I'm in the middle of it—fuck, _everyone_'s in the middle of it. You're gonna start a war between the two best houses on Greek Row."

"Look, I get it, Jake. Luke's your boy and what I did crossed a line. But it isn't Nate's fault, okay? It's mine. He didn't know. So, stop throwing him to shit and cut him some slack. He and Luke aren't gonna make up without their handsome mediator to step in and smooth things over." flattery was her best defense, "And as for the houses, O laid down the law—no retaliation against Phis, the siblings can handle their own rivalries."

He glanced at her and she flashed him a dimpled smile and a wink. Jake just groaned good-naturedly, "Ugh, I cave in way too easy with you, B. Davis." He stated matter-of-factly, pulling her in for a half-hug.

Brooke laughed, "You do." She said nodding. "It's the dimples, I think." They both laughed. "Jake just…don't make this into a thing, okay? It's not you and Luke versus Nate and Clay. You're all my friends, you know?"

"Don't worry. As far as I'm concerned you don't have to pick teams." He assured her.

Brooke really did love Jake. Haley had landed herself a good one and Brooke was rooting for them.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Nate had been staying the apartment for three nights now. Owen had tried to get him to go back to the Sig house and fix his crap with Clay like a grown up, but all his smooth talking had failed. At least he managed to get them to play nice long enough to agree to be on the team for the Intramurals. He, Nate and Clay were the best athletes that Sigma Chi had.

Jake had been trying to get him and Luke to talk, but that hadn't been going well also. Luke just wasn't willing to budge. Brooke was the one thing he wouldn't compromise on and as far as he was concerned, Nate betrayed him and he wasn't ready to let it go just yet.

As for Nate, well, he had his eyes set on something new.

He needed a distraction from all the drama that'd been going on and he knew just what he wanted now. More accurately, _who_ he wanted now.

"Morning, Rae." Nate stood close behind her and leaned in to sniff her hair, "You smell real good today."

Rachel smirked, "I always smell good, Moody."

"True that." Nate conceded with a smirk, taking a second to run his eyes all over her body.

"You know I'm off limits, Nate."

He flashed her that charm-you-into-anything smirk. "And why would that be?"

"Well, for starters, both of your boys—Owen and Clay—are already making plays for me—"

Nate frowned, "Clay's not my boy."

"What's wrong, Dawson? You and Pacey not getting along?"

He laughed at the reference—Peyton used to love watching that crap. "Well, before you commit to Pacey, you should know he's making a move on my baby sister." He said dryly, "Apparently, he's just not that into you."

Rachel was unsure of how much to trust Nate. She knew he was pissed at Clay right now. But she knew better than to let it show. "That's not even the point. Putting your boys aside, there's Brooke. She's, like, my BFF." She said in a mocking manner, "We don't share our toys."

"Ah, but see Brooke didn't wanna play with me—" he countered.

Rachel interrupted him, raising an eyebrow, "And hooking up with me is gonna make everything good again?"

"Well, I was actually hoping that hooking up with you would be good period." Nate licked his lips, "Actually, it'd be fucking mind blowing, babe." He chuckled, "I'm like a Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy."

Rachel just laughed in his face. "Aw, don't be like that, Rae. I got ya a gift and everything." He said with a grin, as he handed her a blue shirt, "For the Intramurals. You and B have been marked as Sigma Chi girls."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Ooh, I've been branded. _Nice_." she said sarcastically, "What makes you think I even wanna go?"

"Well, your roomies are going. And, like you said, Owen, Clay and the now the hottest brunette," —he pointed to himself— "makes three Sigs that are making plays for you. Wouldn't kill you to show some support for _all_ of your admirers."

They stared each other down until a small smile started tugging at the corner of Rachel's lips. "Ah, come on!" Nate flashed her his best charming smirk, as he dangled the shirt in front of her once more, "Ya know you wanna."

She snatched the shirt away from his strong hands. "I really hate you, you know?"

"But in a lovable way." he said, scrunching up his nose and blowing her a kiss. "Be there tomorrow." He instructed, and smacked her ass before leaving the apartment.

Rachel watched him go, scoffing in shock. What kind of game was Nate playing at? And was he really gonna do Clay like that?

-xx-

**Thursday  
Sigma Chi House**

First day of the Intramurals was today. Rachel and Nate took off together from the apartment, which Brooke found a little odd, but didn't really have anything to comment about it. Haley went over to the Delt house to meet up with Jake. Brooke went over the Sig house to meet up with Clay and Owen.

"Evans!" bellowed Owen from the lobby downstairs. "Come on, stop staring at yourself in the mirror and get a move on! We're gonna be late."

Brooke just chuckled. "Relax, O." she said, playfully shoving him, "You know you can't win without your star goalie. What is it that you guys call him, The Wall?"

"He's gonna be knocked down wall unless he gets his ass down here." Grunted Owen in reply.

Clay ran down two steps at a time. "Chillax!" he grinned, "I'm here and I'm ready to kick ass." He looked over at Brooke with a serious expression. "Hey, O, can you go start the car and give us a minute?"

"Fine." He groaned, taking the keys from Clay, "I swear, you two are more trouble than you're worth." He said, shaking his head.

Brooke jumped up laughing to peck his cheek. "You love us, O." she told him with a wide smile. "Me more than Clay, duh. But you still love us both, though."

Owen shook his head laughing as he jogged over to the car leaving Brooke and Clay alone.

"You've been avoiding me, B." he accused quietly. "What's the deal?"

Brooke sighed, "I haven't been avoiding you, Clay." She assured him, "It's just that Nate's at the apartment now and I wanted to talk to you without having to hear him bitch about it. I want to get your side of the story, you know. I mean, are you really trying to hook up with Peyton Scott?"

"I'm not!" he answered immediately, "Look, she was alone and stuff so we talked a little. I figured she could use a friend. I might've _innocently_ flirted with her, but you know me, I flirt with everybody! And then, when we were over at the Delt house she called me in to break the fight and I called her Legs and Luke went all caveman on my ass and then when I finally got back to the Sig house, Nate decided that I wanted to corrupt his baby sister and that I was now this huge jerk-off and then he stormed out."

Brooke licked her lips nervously, "Just give Nate some time to cool off. You know they're both really protective of Little Scott and the tensions are really high right now. You just got caught in the crossfire. In a couple of days things will die down and then everything will be back to normal." He gave her the puppy-dog eyes, "I've got your back, Clay. Okay, in a couple of days you and Nate will be back to painting each others nails."

Clay laughed and kissed her forehead. "Ah, I love you, Dimples." He assured her, "And you look good in that shirt." He added as he twirled her around. "Sig Girl through and through."

Brooke linked arms with him and they walked over to the car. "Only for my boys."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Al's Backyard**

The Delts had won both their games today, which meant they were automatically in the finals, and everyone went out right after to celebrate. "Al, a round for the house." Called Logan Echolls from the bar, "On me 'cause the Phi Delta Thetas are gonna take the Intramurals this year!"

Whoops and ahs from all the Delts and a few boos from a couple of the guys from the losing houses filled the already crowded bar. Brooke and Haley clapped for them.

Owen grabbed his free drink, never one to turn down free booze. "Well, Echolls, don't hold your breath just yet. The Sigs just gotta win tomorrow and then it's on for the finals." He said downing his beer in a single gulp, "But thanks for the drinks anyway."

"Yeah. Bet my ass we kick yours." Added Tim Riggins, Freshman Football Team fullback, Sigma Chi Pledge and O's Lil' Brother. He was a party-boy with lady-killing eyes and a loose tongue. Owen had a rough time keeping him in check. The kid reminded him a lot of Nate, back he was his Lil' Brother.

Both Logan and Owen laughed, "Down, Riggins." Instructed the large Football Captain. "Come on, Riggy, let's get ya another drink. Maybe with your mouth full, you'll talk less."

Brooke laughed at the boys' banter and grabbed the three beers. "Whoa, where you goin'?" she asked Haley when she saw her heading for the door. "I got the drinks. And where're Rach, Nate and Clay at?"

"Nate's at the apartment, no clue about Clay, and Rach and I got a meeting at the library." she explained with a shrug, "Just split my beer with Jake. I'll see ya at class? Do _not_ get completely wasted." She warned.

"Party pooper!" Brooke yelled after her as she sat across from Jake and slid his drink over to him.

Jake just shook his head. "I'll pass on the drink, B." he said gesturing towards the milkshake he had in front of him. "You know I don't handle my liquor as good as you. Besides, last thing I need is more incentive to fall asleep in class."

"Celebration drink, champ." Brooke said smiling. "You were a total rock star out there!"

Jake just snorted. "Yeah, really feeling the love there, Brookie." He said nodding towards her Sigma Chi shirt. "Not exactly my colors."

"Don't." the brunette demanded seriously, "You promised me. No picking teams."

He raised his palms as a peace gesture. "Promise is a promise. My bad."

They ordered some grub to eat something before class and continued joking around.

"Don't mess it up with Hales, Jay." Instructed Brooke out of the blue. "You guys have a pretty good thing going."

Jake slurped his chocolate milkshake uncomfortably. "That took at turn…" he muttered, "Do you know something I don't?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, it's just…you two have a pretty good thing." she repeated, "And pretty good things are rare and hard to come by. Unlike really fucked up, complex things which seem to be freaking everywhere lately."

"Ah," Jake exclaimed with a sympathetic smile, "I take it you're talking about all your Boy Trouble."

Brooke gave the bar a final once over. "Luke's not here. I didn't get a chance to talk to him at the game and…he hasn't called me. I haven't talked to him since Sunday."

"Uh…I don't get it. Why don't you just call him? Boy's got it bad for you, he'd probably come right over."

"'Cause I _never_ call him." explained Brooke. "_He_ always calls _me_. Granted, I always come, but he's the one who always wants me. Why should I call him?"

Jake held back the snigger. "Um, because you totally hit him in the 'nads when word got out about you and Nate. I mean, it was kind of okay when only you two knew, but now everyone knows. Luke's got too much pride to come 'round begging after you now. It's your turn to do the chasing, Brookie."

"You really think that'd work?"

"Trust me, I know my boy." He said laughing. "He's not gonna say no."

Brooke laughed, too. Jake did have a point. For all their drama and fighting, Luke had never said no. Not even once.

-xx-

**Thursday  
West Campus  
Duke University**

Brooke and Jake walked over to class together. She sneaked a peek inside and saw that Luke wasn't there yet so she decided to wait for him outside the classroom. However, Clay arrived before him.

"Dimples," he greeted with a smile, "Glad to see you're not skipping class. Whatcha doin' out here?"

"Oh, I'm just waiting—"

"For Luke?" he completed for her, "I _know_." Honestly, Brooke found it annoying that he knew her that well. "I'll see ya in there."

She waited, but the professor arrived before Luke so she went on inside hoping that he was simply running late. Ten minutes later her theory proved to be accurate when Luke walked in and grabbed his usual desk. Immediately, the brunette found her cell phone and send him a text.

_**To: 919-555-5016**_

_where u been? u havent called me._

She saw Luke pull out his Sidekick and smirk at the message before composing a reply.

_**From: 919-555-5016**_

_busy. heard my N was ur new roomie.  
why? miss me._

In all honesty, she had. She wasn't used to not having him around arguing with her and getting jealous like a damn Neanderthal that he was (she hadn't really missed that part, but she'd missed _him_).

_**To: 919-555-5016**_

_N is on the couch.  
wanna hook up 2nite?_

Luke read the text and bit his lip deep in thought. Brooke's phone vibrated and she instantly opened it.

_**From: 919-555-5016**_

_meet at 2112.  
now._

As the slight brunette read the text she couldn't help but to smile triumphantly. She had him, just like she always did.

-xx-

This time Luke was the first one there for a change. Brooke walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest as she attempted to pull him down into a kiss, but he pulled back chasing his head. "Nah, I didn't you bring here for that." he said, "I brought you here 'cause I wanted to say this to your face and I want it to be clear. Brooke, I am done being your dirty little secret. Cat's out of the bag, everyone knows about us. And I'd love to keep doing this. You know no one does it like you do. But if this is gonna go on, I want to go public." He paused and let out a breath, "In or out, Pretty Girl?"

Brooke looked up into his blue eyes. They seemed warmer now. But still, she couldn't help the scoff, "What? You wanna be my boyfriend, Luke? Take me out on dates and stuff?"

Luke chuckled, "Please. I don't want either of us to go against our true nature. It's not like I see us holding hands and being all Jake & Haley." He assured her, "I'm just saying—"

"What are you just saying?" she interrupted with a daring scowl.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm saying, you're my woman, Davis. About damn time we made it official. So I'll ask you again. In or out?" It was a dare.

Brooke glared up at him, "If I'm…your 'woman', I'm it. No more tramps from Al's or the Varsity. _Got it_?"

Luke scoffed and gave a small nod, "If you're my woman, no more dating my brother or any of the other tools from Greek Row. _Got it_?"

"I'm not kicking Nate out until he's ready to go." She stated matter-of-factly.

Luke wasn't exactly happy about that, "So long as you don't fuck him and he doesn't even _think_ about touching you, I'm fine." He said, "Just don't expect us to kiss and make up anytime soon."

"Then we're fine." She pulled him down into a kiss, this time he didn't pull away. Her small hands drew his face even closer to her and they hungrily devoured each other. Luke slid his hands under her shirt but she stopped him and broke the kiss. "Uh-uh." She said with a dimpled smile. "If we're out of the closet, it means I'm done with the cheap quickies all over campus."

"Please." He sneered. "You won't hold out a week."

She just shrugged, "Maybe not." She conceded, "But I can sure as hell hold out for today." She smacked the side of his face playfully, "See ya in class, Luke." she said as she walked out of the empty room.

-xx-

**Friday  
Brodie Recreation Center — ****Greek Intramurals**  
Duke University 

Jake walked over to where Haley sat on the bleachers. "Here's your Coke, babe." He said, giving her a quick kiss. "Got us some popcorn, too. Hey, are B and Luke coming tonight?"

"Yeah, I saved them a spot next to us." answered Haley with a nod. "It's kind of weird having them together."

Jake shrugged, "Better than having them down at each other's throats." He said, "And, you know, maybe now that Luke's officially with Brooke, he and Nate can get it together and finally make peace. They haven't even said a word to each other since that day, babe. Practice is ice-cold. And Coach K's pickin' up on it."

"Nate's too cocky for his own good, and Luke's got way too bad a temper. I think it'll be a while before things settle down." Commented Haley, "You know, this is, like, their first date. Not officially 'cause it's the Intramurals and we're watching a game of floor hockey, but it's their first public outing."

"Hmm," said Jake, "Bet you twenty bucks they get into a fight before the night's over."

"Oh, you're on."

Just then, Clay walked into the field, his blue and old gold Sigma Chi uniform already on. Everyone else on the team was still back at the locker rooms getting ready for the floor hockey match. He spotted Jake and Haley upfront in the bleachers and walked over to them.

"And how are Duke's very own Ross and Rachel?" he asked noting the matching Phi Delt t-shirt that Haley had on. Ugh, they were, like, happy all the damn time.

Haley shoved him playfully and Jake just laughed, "Gonna kick ass?" he asked, "Sigs win this and it'll be Sigs vs. Phis in the finals."

"Yes. Because we really need more rivalries between you guys." Scoffed Haley.

Clay chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You know me, Hales." He shrugged, "I'm just an innocent bystander." He looked around the gym and spotted Peyton walking in. "I'll see ya later, Jaley."

Jake and Haley exchanged confused looks. Clay rolled his eyes, "Jake+Haley…_Ja-ley_." He explained, "Yeah, I know. I've been spending too much time with Brooke. Story of my life." He said before running off.

He walked up to Peyton. "Hey, Legs, haven't seen you around lately." She said nothing, "What, no quip? I so enjoy our witty banter. You know, I try to be nice and you pretty much tell me to piss off." Yet another silent moment, "So you're just not gonna talk to me anymore, that it? Look, come on, I'm—"

Peyton looked up at him, "Are you ever going to ask me out?" she interrupted, attempting to get to the point, "You flirt with me and you act like you like me. So are you—"

"Peyton."

"Are you ever just gonna do it?" she continued. "Or are you just gonna keep fooling around? Is it Rachel who you wanna hook up with? Because I know it's not in my head—you _like_ me."

"Peyton."

"You called me Peyton. You never call me Peyton. It's always one of those stupid, annoying nicknames. And you called me Peyton. What does that mean?"

"I'm calling you Peyton because I want to be clear: I have thought about asking you out a couple of times, but I just don't think it's a good idea." he said, anxiously shoving his hands in his hoodies' pockets. "Your brothers already wanna kick my ass, my best friend's moved out to avoid talking to me and if I ever wanna make it right again I gotta learn to draw the line with you. You and me…it just can't happen, Peyton."

The curly blonde simply scoffed, "You know what, whatever. I like you, Clay. Don't know why, though. You're just a cocky manwhore, but at least I thought you had enough balls to not cower down to the tools I call brothers and do whatever you wanted. And I thought you wanted me." she shrugged, "Guess I was wrong."

"Legs, come on!" he called out to her as she walked out. "Fuckin' great." He muttered, running his hands through his hair. The Scotts were gonna be the death of him.

Especially the little blonde one.

A scoff came from behind him, "Oh, my god…I can't believe he was right. You're actually into Little Scott." Clay opened his mouth to protest, but Rachel stopped him, "Legs, Clay. _Really_?"

"Ugh! It's a damn nickname! I call Brooke Dimples. I call you Freckles." He yelled, "I am _not_ into her."

Nate appeared behind Rachel, "Yeah, that's why you had that make out session with her last week." He said throwing an arm around the redhead's shoulder. "Come on, Rae, let's get ya a good seat. You can watch me win this one for you."

Rachel looked between Nate and Clay. Honestly, she was attracted to both brunettes. They were fun and flirty and hot. But Clay seemed to have a thing for Peyton and Rachel wasn't into sharing the attention, so instead she winked at Nate, "Come on, Moody. I know you're good with balls, lets see how good you are with a puck." She said, leading Nate towards the bleachers.

Clay grabbed his arm, "Boy Toy will be right with ya, Freckles." He hissed, "Just give us a minute."

Nate just smirked, "Hands off, Evans." He grunted, snatching his arm away. "The fuck you want?"

"Really?" Clay asked, "You're seriously go there, bro? You really gonna start that game with me?"

"Hey, I don't owe you any explanations." Nate leered, "So how about you take your unjustified indignation and shove it up—"

Clay violently grabbed the hem of Nate's jersey, "You know what, Nate, my patience is wearing fuckin' thin here. I've done nothing to get on your shit side and you know it. If you wanna be a bitch and take it out on me, fine. But Jake, Skills and just about every friend you got aren't gonna be on your side, man. They don't have your back. They're with _Luke_. So you might wanna think twice about tossin' me to shit 'cause at some point you're gonna need someone on your side. The game's all set for you to lose, Nate. And right now, you got no one on your corner."

Nate just sneered at him. "I've already lost. I'm just looking for a new game, Clay." He slapped Clay's hand off his shirt. "Oh, and touch me again and you'll see whose patience is wearing _fuckin'_ thin."

Brooke, who'd just walked in, stepped in between them. "Problem, boys?" she glanced at Nate, "Just walk away, 'kay."

Nate laughed, raising his hands, "What the lady wants, the lady gets."

Brooke turned to Clay now. "He'll cool off soon enough."

"I don't give a fuck anymore, B." scoffed Clay. "Screw Nate."

Owen called them down to the field. Game was about to start. Brooke grabbed a spot on the bleachers with Luke, next to Jake and Haley. He attempted to feel her up and she slapped his hands away every time. Eventually the back and forth turned into a make-out session and they completely missed the second half of the game.

-xx-

Sigma Chi wins, 7-2. Owen decreed that they're headed to Al's to celebrate. Brooke walked over to Clay and hugged him. "Congrats, champ. You played quite a game."

"Yeah, well, I'm more than just an excellent soccer player, Dimples." Assured Clay cockily. "No one gets through The Wall."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Right, Mr. Humility. We're headed out to Al's, coming?"

Clay looked over her shoulder and spotted Nate grabbing Rachel's ass as they exited the gym. "Nah." He said shaking his head. "You go and have fun with the Boyfriend, Dimples."

Brooke groaned, "He's _not_ my Boyfriend!"

"Whatever." He shrugged, "You'll have him whipped in no time. Surprised he didn't get you into a Delt shirt for today."

"Well, he tried. We actually got into an argument about it, but, you know," she shrugged with a dirty smile, "I got a way to always be on top."

Luke popped up behind her and circled his arms around her waist. "Move that fine ass of yours, Pretty Girl. Jake and Hales are giving us a ride to Al's." He looked up at Clay, "Evans." He said with a nod.

Clay just flashed him a taunting grin. "Caveman." He said with a fake a smile before looking back at Brooke, "I'll see ya later, Dimples." He sneered at Luke once more. "See ya at the finals on Monday, Caveman."

Luke threw an arm around Brooke's shoulder as they walked over to the car. "I_ really _don't like him." he said in reference to Clay.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't like you, either." responded Brooke, "Tough shit for you both."


	7. Who Are You Taking Home?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: 'Sup Dudes! As always, a major shout out to everyone who reviewed. And a little side note, I know you all have different ideas for pairings, but (as someone already pointed out) everyone will have probably hooked up with everyone by the time the story is finished. So expect to see a lot of different couples throughout the whole thing.**

**Oh, nothing to with anything, but I think I'm suffering from some serious form of sleep depravation, Alice In Wonderland kicked ass and you should all see it, and I've officially become a Gleek (just wanted to share those three random things with someone).**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

Who Are You Taking Home?

-xx-

**Monday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke woke up to a football thrown at his head. "The fuck…" he mumbled, sitting up on his bed and grabbing the ball from his pillow.

"You ever noticed how every house on Greek Row has kind of a specialty?" asked Jake. He was sitting on the futon across the room and had his feet up on the table. "Like, Pi Sig is the black sheep, and Sigma Chi is the party/jock house—"

The brooding blonde frowned in confusion, "Why are the Sigs the jock house?" he yawned, "And why the hell are we talking about this so early."

"Okay, it's 4 in the afternoon—"

Luke grunted. "I got in at 5:30 a.m., dude."

"You gotta be up in a few hours anyway. Intramurals." reminded Jake. "And they're the jock house 'cause over fifty percent of their members are starters for some sport, _and_ they got the Captains of the three major teams here: Football, Soccer, Basketball. I was just thinking which house are we?"

"Fuckin' hell." He muttered, rubbing his eyes, "You threw a damn football at my head 'cause you're feeling existential this morning? You wanna know what the Phi Delta Thetas are: we are Duke's top fraternity based on the academics and networking. Read the stupid pamphlet we hand out to the Pledges."

Jake chuckled. Luke sure did a hell of a job as Pledge Educator. "Look, man, I need you to crash in my room tonight and let me borrow yours." He said with his best I-need-a-favor grin.

"No way, Jake, you know I can't stand Sketch." Replied Luke shaking his head, "What do you need my room for, man?"

"Apartment's getting crowded." He stated matter-of-factly, "Hales doesn't really wanna crash in my room with Alexander there."

Luke snickered, "Okay, so you're asking to use my room so you can screw my best friend who I've known since I was five?"

Jake's neck reddened a little. He was never one to blush. "Not exactly how I'd put it." he sighed, "Look, when you and Brooke want the apartment to yourselves, Hales and I can make ourselves scarce. Consider it a trade, dude."

"Ooh! That'd be interesting to see. Especially seeing as Brooke has never let me into her apartment. Hell, I'm not even sure where it is." Said Luke, "But thanks for the offer, though."

Jake laughed, shaking his head in disbelief, "Wait, so after a year of sleeping with Brooke, she has not once let you go to the apartment?" Luke shook his head in reply, "Well, what about Hales? Didn't she ever invite you?"

"See, Hales is a pacifist and in the interest of avoiding fights that could trash what I'm sure is her very nice apartment, she simply never invited me over." Explained Luke, "Besides, we didn't want anyone to know about us and you and Haley might've noticed me going into her room for hours at a time."

Logan walked in, "Gentlemen, so sorry to interrupt your busy, busy morning, but we have the Intramural meeting downstairs. Some changes were made in the roster." He informed them with his patented I'm-mocking-you-idiots tone. "But since you're clearly otherwise engaged, I'll shorten it up for you: Jaglieski, you're playing center. Scott, you're the goalie. I'll see ya at the finals at noon."

Both Luke and Jake sat up straight. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" they called in protest. He'd just changed their positions.

"Look, spare me the drama." He said, raising his palms, "The House Presidents got together and decided that we didn't need another _West Side Story_ moment. We're worried about what would happen if we set you and the other Scott loose on the court. Fight in the house is one thing, fight out in public means the Dean's gonna be all up in our asses. So…both you and Nate will be confined to your nets on opposite ends of the court and, if you play it right, we'll bring home the win."

Logan exited the room, Jake and Luke exchanged looks. "So, Luke, what do you say?"

"I say I suck as a goalie." Grunted Luke, falling back into his bed.

Jake rolled his eyes, "I meant about letting me have the room."

"Whatever, dude." Said Luke as he stood up and slid his game jersey on, "You are more than welcome to use my room tonight—for an unamed favor to be called on at a later date."

O'Toole popped his head into the room, "Jay, your girl's here." He informed, "Downstairs, she's waiting for you."

"Thanks, Pledge." Smirked Luke. O'Toole immediately closed the door.

"You need to stop picking on O'Toole." Instructed Jake admonishingly, "Why do you single him out?"

Luke laughed, "I don't. He's just scared 'cause he was hitting on Brooke a couple of months ago and I called him out on it." he explained, "Come on, I'll walk you downstairs. I wanna say hi to Hales."

-xx-

Haley was being chatted up by all the guys near the stairs. She was the Brooke Davis of the Phi Delta Theta House. Everyone knew her and everyone loved her…

Every guy also knew to keep his hands off.

Luke skipped down the steps and pulled her into a hug, "Hey, Hales! How you doin'?"

"Hi, Luke." Haley greeted with a smile. "I'm good. Excited for the game. Looking forward to seeing my boys play today."

Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Makes two of us." He said laughing.

"God, when are you going to let me shave that thing off?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.

Jake sniggered, "She's right, man. The Mohawk? It's a little pimped out."

"Screw you."

Haley snickered, "Speaking of hostile responses, Peyton's pissed at you. You should talk to her." advised Haley, "Both you _and _Nate. She's really upset."

"Well, tough shit. Peyt's gotta learn to handle herself." Shrugged Luke.

Jake scoffed, "He said after getting in a fist fight in a misguided attempt to handle her business _for_ her."

"Say whatever you want, dude. Clay Evans is a jerk-off. He's not gonna get with my baby sister. And _that_'s something Nate and I agree on." Luke shrugged, "If she's got a problem with it…well, what else is new? Peyt's always bitching about something or other."

Haley shook her head, disappointed but not entirely surprised at Luke's response. "Real mature, Luke."

"Whatever." He kissed Haley's forehead and bumped fists with Jake, "I'm gonna head to Al's, grab some grub before the game. See you there."

-xx-

**Monday  
Al's Backyard**

Nate went over to the booth and sat across Brooke, "Large strawberry milkshake and an extra order of large fries." He said, passing the food over to her. "Damn, girl, you just topped off a burger with fries and another shake. Now you're back for a refill. You eat more than me. Explain to me how it is that you're so tiny, Davis."

"Mi wont wow." She answered, swallowing a handful of fries, "Guess I have a fast metabolism or something." She shrugged, sipping her shake, and downing another fry. "These are _good_."

Nate extended his hand to steal a fry, but Brooke's glare paralyzed him. "Eat that and die." She said with a venomous tone.

"Right." he chuckled, dropping the fry back on the plate.

Brooke sighed, "Look, Nate, I've been meaning to talk to you…about Clay—"

"You don't wanna go there with me, Davis." He grunted.

"He's your best friend, he's _my_ best friend, and he's your brother and your roommate and he wasn't making a move on your sister. I need you two to make up so we can be the Three Musketeers again!" She demanded with her best pout.

Nate pursed his lips in thought. His brunette counterpart had a point. And while sleeping on her couch had been nice and easy, he did miss his house and, as pissed and annoyed as he was with him, he missed his best friend. "Well, get used to it, B. New world order." But of course he'd never actually _admit_ to that. "Look, Clay had my back, but…screwing with my sister was out of line."

Brooke cocked an eyebrow, "Speaking of screwing with people," she said a small glare, "Just what exactly are you playing at with Rachel?"

"Jealous?" Nate licked his lips and shrugged, "Green's not really your color."

A scoff quickly passed her luscious lips, "I love ya, Nate. You're my boy, but Rae's my girl. She's not some game or play to get to me." She stated matter-of-factly, "Consider this a warning. Fuck with her and I will cut off your balls. Got it?"

"Well, uh," he chuckled, "I know this is B. Davis' World and we're all just living in it…" he paused, "But it ain't all about you, baby. And whatever I'm doing, it's between her and me. We don't need any chaperons."

Luke had just arrived and he slid himself down next to Brooke, pulling her into a very aggressive and very possessive kiss. He drew her in closer with his right hand and allowed his left hand to roam her hair and get tangled up in her silken chocolate locks.

Brooke was pretty surprised. She hadn't even been expecting to see him until the game. And then there was that little voice in the back of her mind that told her that this sudden display of desire was all because she was alone in a booth with Nate…

But hell, Luke was good at what he did. And his lips worked expertly. She didn't even try to resist him. She'd never been too good at that anyway.

After what felt like hours, Luke pulled away, the need for air finally catching up to both of them. Brooke just stared at him in a daze, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. Since when was Luke Scott into PDA?

Nate rolled his eyes and made a gagging sound. The brooding blonde just chortled. "Oh, Nate. My bad. I didn't even see you there. How awkward for me." he said in a clearly forced, fake amicable tone.

"Ah, no problem, bro." Nate replied in the same manner, "So _nice_ to run into you."

Luke chuckled, his asshole smirk in place, "Heard you moved in with Brooke and Hales." He commented, "What, couldn't get into Brooke's bed so now you're settling for getting into her couch?"

Brooke let out a piercing shriek as she shoved Luke to get out of the booth. "Ugh, I am so freaking tired of all the testosterone overload!" she howled at them, scolding them as if they were children, "You know what, Luke, you wanna be pissed at someone, be pissed at me. Nate didn't know I had anything going on with you. That was my mistake. I knew better than to get myself in between two brothers." She stared sharply into Luke's eyes, "So, babe, if you wanna go all cage-fighter on someone, I'm it. _Bring it_."

Luke had no comeback for the angry brunette. He just stood there staring at her. Brooke raised an eyebrow, "What? No witty retort?" she sneered, "_Good_. Now stop acting like three year olds fighting over a toy and make up already."

She snatched her milkshake off the table and made her way to the door muttering, "Couldn't even finish my damn fries in peace. Stupid, _stupid _boys!"

Nate got up and he and Luke just stood there glowering at each other. After a few minutes, the raven-haired Scott sighed, "Look, man, we can call a truce anytime. This was just a mix-up. We got our signals crossed. But, like your girl said, I really didn't know." He extended a hand out to Luke.

Luke stared at it and considered it for a second. He slapped Nate's hand and they bumped shoulders. "Hey, I get it. But this doesn't mean we're cool. This just means…I'm not gonna get into another fight with you. You back off of Brooke and we're not gonna have a problem."

Nate let out a barely audible scoff and flashed his six-minutes-older brother his best smirk, "We're not gonna have any problems, man." He said with a shrug, slipping on his jacket. "I mean, like you said, I'm just on the couch, right?" he laughed, "See ya at the game, bro." And, tucking his hands comfortably into his coat's pockets, he exited Al's.

Luke plopped back down on the booth and finished what was left of Brooke's fries. Nate's nature of being a presumptuous asshole made it particularly difficult for them to…'stop acting like three year olds fighting over a toy and make up' as Brooke had so gracefully put it.

-xx-

**Monday  
****Brodie Recreation Center — ****Greek Intramurals  
****Duke University**

Brooke arrived at the gym with Clay. He'd been whining about having to give his goalie spot to Nate because her 'boyfriend' (she'd then squealed: he's _not_ my boyfriend! in a frustrated tone) was just a 'stupid, Neanderthal caveman' that nobody 'trusted to behave out on the court'.

"Okay, enough!" she giggled, "You'll play great no matter the position." He turned to head towards the court and she slapped his ass, "Kick some hockey butt, Evans."

Clay laughed, shaking his head, "Thanks for the love, Dimples. But maybe you need to work a little on the supportive girlfriend thing a little."

The brunette playfully stuck her tongue out at him and rushed over to the bleachers with Haley and Rachel. "Hey, roomies." She greeted with her signature dimpled smile.

Nate walked down the court in his goalie's gear (or more accurately, Clay's gear) and stopped in front of the female threesome. "Hey, Rae," he winked, "What's gonna be my price for winning this one for ya?"

"Huh," pondered Rachel as she leaned forward, allowing him view down her shirt. "You're gonna win this game for little old me? Really?"

"Who else, darlin'?" he said, smirk in place.

Rachel bit her lower lip, suppressing a smile. "Tell you what, Scott." She said with a devilish grin. "You win this game for me and I'll…show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."

Nate's eyebrows immediately rose and he unconsciously licked his lips. "That an innuendo?"

The redhead simply grinned broadly, "Bet that cute ass of yours it is."

He let out a loud guffaw, "Oh, you're _on_, babe." He then headed over to the net.

Brooke and Haley exchanged questioning looks before nudging Rachel. "You're seriously gonna sleep with Nate?" asked a surprised Haley.

Rachel just shrugged, "I've been here almost a month and I still haven't gotten laid. Time for the celibacy to be over."

"Amen to that." said Brooke giggling as she scanned the court for Luke. She smiled when she spotted him, "Hey, number 3!" Luke turned around and winked at her. "Lookin' good today."

Luke shook his head, laughing while he took his spot on the court. Game was about to start.

Haley turned to Brooke, "Hey, Tigg, have you heard from Peyton lately? I've called her a few times, but she's not picking up. I don't even know if she's coming to the game today."

"And why would I know where she's at?" questioned Brooke, "You know Blonde & Bitchy hates me."

Haley nodded. That much was true. Peyton and Brooke couldn't stand each other. "Guess I'm just a little worried. Nate and Luke are good for beating other guys up, not so much for the emotional stuff."

"I'm sure Little Scott is fine, Hales." Dismissed Brooke, "She'll probably bounce back in no time."

Haley forced a smile. "Right…" she honestly wasn't so sure.

-xx-

Sigma Chi won the game, 10-9. (It seemed Nate really wanted his prize).

Brooke and Haley stepped down to the court and walked over to Luke and Jake.

"You played great, Luke." she said smiling, "I mean, they only beat you by one. I'm sure you'll kick ass next time."

Luke swept her up into a heavy kiss. Lifting her until her feet left the gym floor. "Well, do I still get a prize?" he asked raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh, hell, yes." She said, grinning widely. "Let's head back to your room, Broody."

"Ah," Luke shook his head, "No can do. I promised Hales and Jake my room tonight. We can go to your place, though…"

Brooke shook her head sternly. "Yeah. No. I don't bring guys back to the apartment." She said matter-of-factly, "Can we try your car?"

"Whoa, back it up." Luke chuckled. "All guys go to your apartment: Clay, Nate, Jake, Owen, Alexander, plus every guy over at Sigma Chi including the Pledges. That place is like a hostel. I'm the only one who hasn't been there."

The brunette let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay. Yeah. Guys do go there, but not guys I sleep with. Friends." She shrugged somewhat timidly, "Look, my apartment's my space. I don't really like guys I'm fucking around with there."

He chuckled, slightly amused at her rationalization. "Good thing I'm not some guy you're fucking around with, then. Hey, we don't have to do anything. Just…show me your space. _That_ can be my prize." He wasn't sure why, but suddenly, finding out everything about Brooke Davis seemed to be at the top of his to-do list.

Luke flashed her a cute, appealing half grin and she caved. "All right." She said nodding slowly. "Let me just find Clay and tell him I'm bailing on the after party, and Rachel so she'll find a—" She turned around, scanning the crowd and spotted her redheaded best friend.

Rachel was with Nate, her legs wrapped around his waist as he attempted to kiss her and carry her out to his car without tripping over. "Wow, uh, guess she'll find another bed for the night." commented the brunette laughing at the sight. "Let me just find Clay. I'll meet ya by the car, 'kay?"

Brooke jogged over to Clay and tugged on his jersey. "Hey, babe, I'm off early with Luke so I don't think I can make it to the party, but congrats." The look on Clay's face told her something was off. "Okay, what's up? You have your pissy face on."

Clay scoffed. He was clearly agitated. "I'm fine, B. You know what, it's cool about the party. I got another place to be anyways."

Brooke grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking away. "Clay, for real…are you okay? 'Cause you look kind of pissed."

"I'm fine." He repeated. "I got stuff to do. Have fun, Dimples. I'll see ya later."

-xx-

**Monday  
****Blackwell — East Campus  
****Duke University**

Clay walked through the neighborhood checking the room numbers as he moved along. He'd only spent a semester in the dorms his freshman year before moving into Sigma Chi, and even then he rarely slept in his own bed. The East Campus was pretty foreign to him.

Finally: 4891. He banged on the dorm room impatiently over and over again. He'd been at it for a few minutes now and he was wondering when someone from one of the other dorms would yell at him to shut up.

Finally, the door opened to reveal his favorite angry blonde. Clay didn't hesitate this time, pulling the small girl to his chest with his right hand and grabbing a handful of her curly locks of hair. He stepped inside and slammed the door closed with his foot.

Peyton's hands began to tug at his jersey as he started to unbutton her shirt. And as enthralled as Peyton was, she pulled away, "You doing this to get back at Nate?"

Clay leaned down to kiss her one more time. "Screw Nate." He said with his best lopsided grin, "Come on, you said you wanted a guy who didn't back down. Well, here I am, Legs."

"Okay." She said, pulling him down to the bed and removing his jersey just as he finally discarded her shirt and skirt. As Clay dropped a trail of kisses down her collarbone, Peyton pulled him up for a second, "Hey, Clay…don't tell anyone." Nate and Luke butting into her business, trying to kill Clay, and starting World War III on Greek Row weren't what she had in mind when she decided she wanted Clay.

And she wasn't quite ready to face those consequences.

He went back to nibbling that spot, eliciting a moan from the curly blonde. "Anything you want, Legs." He whispered seductively into her ear.

-xx-

**Monday****  
****Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

This was definitely over sharing for Brooke. After a year of fucking each other on and off (mostly on) she'd never even let Luke come to her apartment, much less her room. And she hadn't exactly invited him this time around either. Luke kind of just sweet-talked her into it.

"So this is your room, huh?" he asked looking around. The red door was the first thing he noticed. He couldn't help letting out a small laugh, Brooke was the Girl Behind The Red Door.

Then there was a large bookcase. A shelf displayed an extensive collection of shot glasses from pretty much all around the world and bottle of Patrón right behind them. Luke wasn't exactly surprised about that.

Then he moved on to check out her books. "Wow, you're all hooked on phonics, aren't ya?" he chuckled, "I didn't know you read."

"Kind of a requirement for college." She mockingly jeered.

Luke rolled his eyes, "I know, but most of these aren't for school. You never told me you _liked_ to read."

"Didn't think you'd care." Brooke shrugged.

"Hello!" exclaimed Luke, "Lit Major right here." He said pointing to his chest.

Brooke was both surprised and slightly impressed. This was kind of the first time they'd actually had a conversation that didn't involve fighting or sex.

Luke continued to look around and finally noticed a small black and white Beatles poster. "The Beatles. Seriously?"

She'd thrown herself in her platform bed and was enjoying watching him watch her room. "Yeah, got a problem with it?"

"Not at all." He shrugged and smirked, "All you need is love, right?"

"It sure beats wondering where do all the lonely people come from." She shot back, smirking as well.

"Let it be." He said lying next to her in bed.

His face was abnormally close to hers, their noses touching. "I didn't bring you here to fuck." She commented catching her breath. Everything about Luke screamed sex right now and she had to remind herself that they weren't fucking tonight.

Luke just snorted and kissed her forehead in an almost gentle way. He'd never been like that with her before. "I just…wanna hold your hand." He said grinning and extending his hand out to her.

She hesitantly slipped her hand into his. He caressed it slowly. "Fits right." He said kissing it.

"Yeah," Brooke laughed, "Fits pretty good."

They both just laid there side by side staring at the stupid glow in the dark stars that Haley and Jake had glued to the ceiling when they first moved in. "Hey, Luke," called out Brooke, never taking her eyes off the ceiling.

He did turn his face and stared at her profile in the dim light of the room. "What's up, Davis?"

"Does this…um," she cleared her throat, "Does this mean you're, like, my boyfriend or whatever?"

Luke laughed and rolled himself on top of her. She opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed his index finger to her lips to stop her. "Shh." He instructed. "I can be whatever you want me to be."

And just like that, Brooke Davis saw Luke Scott in a different light. Suddenly, he wasn't just the annoying, self-righteous asshole that she loved to hate. He actually seemed like a really nice guy. And she couldn't help the dimpled smile that spread across her face as she pulled him down into a warm kiss.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke had arrived at the Sigma Chi House early. It had been a busy week and she hadn't gotten a chance to drop by lately. Honestly, she was used to hanging out there on a weekly basis and she was kinda missing it. After all, it had been her first official address at Duke when the stupid office cancelled her rooming due to some sort of clerical mix-up.

She sat in her usual comfy living room armchair, engrossed in her _Halo_ game. "Oh, come on!" she squealed, "I told you to cover me, Clay!" she let out a giggle as she attempted to move out of the line of fire, "Don't you dare, Piz!" she ordered, throwing the aforementioned male a glare.

Piz just laughed as he killed her, "Put it there, Wilke." He said, bumping fists with blonde, and sticking his tongue out at Brooke, "That's what you get for leaving the charge to Clay, Cookie."

Owen waltzed in, grabbing the nearest remote and pausing their game. "Alright, Brookie and Pledges, time to go. It's Chapter Meeting time." he said in a serious tone. "Clear out."

The Pledges obeyed and promptly marched out. Brooke stayed in her spot. All the guys booed and gave Owen thumbs down. "Let Brooke stay, O!" they yelled, "She's the House Mascot." "Don't kick B out!"

Clay stood up and raised his arms, signaling the guys to quiet down. "Big O, I think I speak for everyone when I say: Dimples is part of the house, dude. Let our girl stay, she's gonna find out about what went down later anyway. Might as well cut out the middle man."

"Aight, aight!" he called out, attempting to quiet the room down once more, "Brookie Monster, you can stay. Maybe next year you can pledge and we can make your membership to the house official." Everyone laughed. "Oh, and while I have you here, might I ask where Nate is?"

Brooke shrugged, "My best guess is he and Rach are corrupting either my bed or Haley's."

The room broke out whooping and clapping. "That's our guy!" "Go Scott!" "Atta boy!" Brooke sneaked a peak at Clay's face. He didn't really find it amusing.

"This is why you're not allowed at the Chapter Meetings, Davis." Stated Owen crossing his arms over his chest, "You only serve to rile my guys up."

Brooke climbed up on the coffee table, stuck two of her manicured fingers in his mouth and wolf whistled loudly. "President wants to talk. Everyone shut the hell up." Every guy quieted down immediately and she stepped down of the table, grabbing her spot on the couch next to Clay. "Continue, Owen." she said sweetly.

"Right." he laughed at how Brooke had every one of his boys handled, "As usual, I'll make this short and sweet. Intramurals are done and now the next point is Homecoming Week starts tomorrow. I'm gonna be all tied up in practice, which means I'm gonna need a few of you guys to be in charge of the parade float and the tailgate thing. Some of the Theta Beta girls are gonna be over to drop the house decoration stuff. It's gonna be a heavy week and I need volunteers. Any takers?" Not surprisingly, no one raised a hand. "All right, we can't push the whole thing on the Pledges. They don't know shit yet. I need at least three or four of you who've done this before to step up."

Brooke jumped up, "Clay and I'll do it!"

"What the hell are you doing, Dimples?" groaned Clay. He did not want to babysit the Pledges in the building of the parade float.

Owen smirked, "Good. That's two. I need one more." Clay began protesting, but Owen ignored him. "No more takers?" He sighed in defeat, "Fine. Brookie, you get your choice of the Pledges. Take your pick."

Brooke stood up excited. "I'll take Tim, Piz, Wilke, and Dean."

"Whoa, Muffin," Dean stood up, arms crossed over his chest. "I ain't no Pledge. Pick again."

Brooke turned and flashed Owen her best pout. He sighed, "Sorry, Dean, lady's choice." He shrugged, "Evans, Riggins, Wilke, Piznarski, and _Winchester_ are all gonna B help with the float. And boys," He paused and flashed everyone a warning look, "Play nice with her."

-xx-

Clay walked Brooke to her car. They walked in silence when suddenly he stopped and turned to face her. "I slept with Little Scott."

Brooke's eyes immediately widened in shock, "Clay!" she yelled in a reprimanding tone, "Dude, what the fuck?"

"I don't know, okay! Peyt's fun and she likes me…I held back 'cause of Nate, but really, he's been screwing Rachel for almost a week now. I just, I figured I didn't owe him anything anymore." he offered Brooke a rueful smile, "Say something, Dimples."

The upset brunette shook her head, "This is fucked up, Clay. You know this can only get more complicated from here on out, right."

"I acted on impulse!" said Clay, attempting to defend himself, "It's not like I'm using her or anything. I actually like her, B. And Nate crossed a line, too. He knew I was making a move on Freckles and he went after her to spite me."

Brooke scoffed, "Well, you know, he who lives in a glass house shouldn't..." her voice trailed off, forgetting the saying, "throw stones at Nate's house!" she finished instead.

Clay paused to think about that… "What?"

"Nate and Rachel is not the same thing as you and Peyton. She's his baby sister. He's not just going to let go of that."

Clay huffed, "Hey, I didn't tell you so you could hound me about it. I told 'cause I wanted to tell my best friend. Do _not _tell Nate, Dimples."

"You know I won't." she sighed, "But the position you're putting me in, Clay? It _sucks_." She hissed angrily, "I'll call you later about the Homecoming stuff."

Brooke got into her Beetle and drove off. Clay just stood there, hands in his jeans' pockets, feeling all kinds of guilty for putting Brooke on the spot like that.

-xx-

**Sunday****  
****Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Nate had now been crashing at the apartment for over a week. He was watching Sports Center on the living room TV. Brooke was on the couch next to him downing a Coke. Rachel had holed herself up in Brooke's room to try and catch a few Z's.

When the commercials came, Nate got up and pulled out the orange juice, drinking what was left right out of the carton and then placing it back in the fridge. Haley stared at him in disbelief.

"Okay," Haley chuckled, clearly pissed off, "Apartment meeting. _Now_."

The three females locked themselves up in Brooke's room. "Okay, Tigger," started the blonde, "When is Nate gonna go? Seriously, it's like living with Oscar the Grouch."

Rachel nodded, "Dude keeps eating all the marshmallows out of my Lucky Charms." She said, "And that is not meant as a euphemism."

"Look, I like Nate as much as the next girl. Hell, I grew up with the kid," continued Haley, "But five people is too much for our tiny, tiny apartment."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on!" she protested, "Jake picks the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms all the time, too. And, Hales, it's not like he's taking any extra space. He's on the couch where Rach would be and you don't mind her."

"Yeah, 'cause Rachel does the groceries and cleans up after herself and her schedule is synched with ours so there are no bathroom clashes and we can all enjoy the hot water… Plus she ships in for rent."

"And Jake picks out, like, half of the marshmallows. He evens the box out." Stated Rachel matter-of-factly.

"Right. And, you know, when I'm the shower and you two pop in to brush your teeth or do your make-up, I don't really mind. When I'm the shower and Nate waltzes in to pee, _that_ bothers me." added Haley.

"Look, I know that Nate and I have been…_you know_, but he's eating all the food and you kick me in your sleep and…" Rachel sighed, "I want my bed back! He needs to go and get himself a room 'cause doing it on the couch is getting old."

"EW! You two have been doing it on the couch? I sit there!" exclaimed Haley. "I _nap_ there!" Rachel gave her a that's-not-the-point look. "Right, focus," Haley turned to face Brooke, "I know he gives you the puppy eyes and you cave, but Cujo has got to go." Finished Haley, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brooke let out a breath, "I can't kick him out." She said plainly, "It'll look like I'm doing it 'cause of Luke and that'll just stir up more trouble. I am not getting involved."

"Okay, okay," said Haley with a nod. "There's only one way to solve this." She said seriously, "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

Brooke and Rachel smiled. They were always perfectly synched at this. "Paper beats rock." They said simultaneously.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Fine. I'll do it."

Rachel and Brooke pressed their ears up against the door to listen. They heard Haley mumble something and Nate mumbled something back. Then there was some shouting and the front door slammed closed.

"Damn!" exclaimed Brooke, releasing a sigh, "That went well."

Haley stepped back into her room. Rachel and Brooke gave her expectant look. "How'd it go?"

"Um, he grabbed his duffel back and went off." She said, "He's a little pissed at me, not so much at you two. Apparently he's not really a big believer in the whole don't-shoot-the-messenger thing."

-xx-

**Sunday****  
****Sigma Chi House**

Nate walked into his room, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Clay looked up at him expectantly. Nate just flopped himself down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"You back for good?" asked Clay as he slid on his leather jacket.

Nate groaned, "Got nowhere else to go." He stated. "And I'm a Sig. This is my house."

"Fair enough." Answered Clay as he checked himself in the mirror one last time.

"What? Hot date or have you finally found some tight chick to fill the Sunday-Fuck-Buddy Spot?"

Clay licked his lips, "You could say she's a pretty regular...fuck buddy, I guess."

Yup, this had just started to get complicated.


	8. Relationships Ain't Easy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: A freaking huge shout to all my reviewers (**_Sara, BDavisLScott23, BrOokeDaViS23, YouCan'tFightDestiny, p0line, OTH-Brucas-love, Brucas10, dianehermans, koumi11, Love me some Julian_**), especially those who leave the long-ass reviews 'cause those are my favorites! And, of course, also to those who leave short one 'cause even a: '**_**good chapter**_**' pumps me up! Anyways, here's the next one.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

Relationships Ain't Easy

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke arrived home feeling pretty tired (as she always felt after a hangout session with the Sig boys, especially when they were hard at work on building the float). Plus being pissed at Clay wore her out pretty good, too. And, as of late, she also found herself pissed at Peyton. She was dense, but she couldn't have been stupid enough to not know how much drama hooking up with Clay would stir. To top it all off, she could hear Jake and Hales arguing over something in the other room.

With a roll of her eyes, she threw her keys in the key bowl by the door and headed to her room. She was surprised when she found Rachel on her bed, headphones on, iPod on full volume and browsing the adds in the paper.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked as she neared the bed, "Scoot over."

Rachel removed her headphones and moved to make room. "Didn't you hear 'em? Mommy and Daddy are fighting." She said mockingly, "Just wanted some quiet time while I looked over the classifieds."

Brooke grabbed the paper and checked out what she was circling with a highlighter. "Apartment adds. You're moving out?"

"I need a place." Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Crashing with you and Tutor Girl has been awesome, but I need to get off the couch. I need to get a room and a bed and start living out of a closet instead of out of a duffel bag. This place just can't handle all of us anymore."

Brooke groaned, "Is this 'cause of Nate? Really, Rae, Hales and I love having you here. I don't want you to go." She said pouting.

"Trust me, B, it's all about me." Rachel said chuckling, "This was always supposed to be temporary anyway."

Letting out a sigh of defeat, the brunette nodded. "Okay. Freshman year I slept with a guy who worked at finding housing for students. I'll give him a call."

"Thanks, bitch."

"Anytime, whore." Smirked Brooke.

Rachel laughed, "Lame-jock-fist-punchy thing?" she asked extending her fist to Brooke. The brunette bumped it and they both fell back on the bed.

_Clunk_!

Both girls winced slightly when they heard the front door slammed with a bang. "Ugh, what is up with them today?" questioned Rachel.

Brooke shrugged, "No clue. This is, like, the first time I've heard them fighting. They're always so…lovey-dovey about everything."

"From _Joanie Loves Chachi_ to _Sid & Nancy_." Exclaimed Rachel, "Can't say they're predictable."

Brooke sat up, "Come on, let's go do damage control on Hales. I'll get to Jay-Jay later." Rachel got up and followed her out of the room.

The Golden Couple having trouble was definitely uncharted territory for both of them. And it's not like either of them were exactly relationship experts.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Jake walked into the Delt House—his house—in a huff. He was still going over his argument with Haley in his head. He wasn't even sure what it was about right now and that freaking sucked.

To say he was shocked when he turned towards the living room would've been an understatement. 'Cause the last thing he expected to see was Nate Scott slumped in the couch, playing with a yo-yo.

"Hey, Tom Sawyer," Jake chuckled, "What are you doing here?"

Nate slipped his feet off the couch to make room for Jake, "I'm waiting for Skills. He's got the new plays, and I need to read 'em over before the next practice."

"Right on." Jake groaned wearily and buried his face in his hands.

"Okay, I'll bite." Smirked Nate, "What's up with you, Jaglieski?"

"Hales and I are fighting again."

Nate shrugged, not really seeing what the big deal about an argument was. "Okay…"

"Not like a silly argument—we fought." Jake explained, "I mean, last time I remember us yelling like that was in eleventh grade."

"Oh, come on, dude. I thought you guys were past all that stupid high school drama."

Jake shrugged, "We were—_are_!" he amended, "We are…we're both just really rushed this week and we had a bad morning. It's nothing and I'm just…building it up in my head."

"Look, dude, relationships aren't really my thing," Said Nate, "Just apologize. Hales is a pretty reasonable chick."

"Right." Jake laughed, "You're right. I'm probably just being paranoid. We'll be back to normal in no time."

Skills arrived and snorted when he spotted Nate. "If it ain't Butch Coolidge." He said mockingly, "Ya here for a rematch, dawg? 'Cause I don't think Luke's in right now."

"Funny, Chuckles." scoffed Nate as he got off the couch, "Just picking up the playbook, Skills."

Skills smiled, "Got 'em right here, N. Scott." He said pulling the blue binder out of his bag, "Thanks for lettin' me borrow yours, man. I left mine at Bev's house, and they're on lockdown for some chick sorority thing."

"I'll be sure to collect the favor later." Replied Nate, bumping fists with him and Jake before heading outside.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke University**

This week's usual cheer practice was more or less cancelled. Brooke had gathered the Squad in the gym to discuss the plans for Homecoming Week. The alumni had begun to arrive yesterday and the Dean had already informed her they expected one hell of a show for the 'Pep Rally'.

The girls sat spread out across the bleachers wearing their sweats for the usual torturous practice. (Well, torturous was a light way of putting it. But, as Brooke always repeated them: to be the best you have to train like the best, you can't handle it? There are four doors to get the hell out of the gym).

"Okay, as you all know, Homecoming Game's this Saturday." Stated Brooke, hands placed firmly on her trim waist. "This year we're gonna be shaking things up a little for the pep rally. As ordered by the Dean, we are now supposed to use the Football Players as part of the entertainment. Basically, work them into the routine."

A few of the girls giggled and clapped, clearly excited by the idea. Hell, even Brooke thought it was bound to be amusing to see the gorilla-like football players attempt to dance.

"Now, I'm gonna be busy for the next few days with the float competition and I'm also emceeing the pep rally, which means I won't be in the routine so…" she made pause which suddenly felt very dramatic, "I will be picking someone to choreograph and work with the team until they get it right."

Brooke paced, taking in every member of the Squad. Giving the job to Rachel or Haley seemed practical enough. They'd both helped her with the squad before and they were both used to setting up choreographies. Plus she trusted them and they had enough confidence to pull it off without second-guessing themselves. Hell, even Bevin was qualified to handle it.

But Haley was helping with the Delt float… Besides, she had someone else in mind. "Tag." She said standing in front of the curly blonde, glowering down at her as she threw a binder on her lap. "You're it. Don't mess it up…_Little Scott_."

With a final glance at her squad, she put on a plastic smile. "Practice dismissed. I'm sure Little Scott will call you all for the next practice when she's got everything set up." she turned to offer the blonde a sneer, "I'd get right on that, _Peyt_."

The girls all stood up and dispersed. Peyton remained rooted in her spot on the bleachers. Since when did Brooke Davis trust her with…well, _anything_?

Rachel and Haley trotted to catch up to Brooke. "The Bitch is back, huh?" questioned the redhead with a proud smile. "Nicely done, B." She finished, before heading off to the locker rooms.

Haley tugged on Brooke's arm, "What are you playing at, Tigger? You know Peyton can't handle all that on her own."

Brooke stopped and turned to face her, "Exactly." She said curtly. "Time for the Freshman to learn her place. And if you ask me, it's long overdue."

"And setting her up to fail and make the whole squad—_your_ squad—look bad will help how?"

Brooke scoffed, "Relax. She won't fail. Too desperate to show me what she can do… But this way she'll have to work her ass off for it."

Haley sighed, "That's cruel, Brooke."

"That's _life_." Corrected the brunette, "It's time for her to learn her role in this squad, Hales."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Brooke walked into the Delt House a little apprehensively. Sure, she'd been there before. For parties when the place was crowded or sneaking in for a quickie with Luke and sneaking out the window the next morning. Being there as Luke's…girlfriend just felt weird.

This was more Haley's territory than it was hers.

Alexander walked by her and stopped, surprised to see her there in the middle of the day. "Hey, Boss." He greeted with a smile. "You're not here to see me, are you?"

Brooke smiled and shook her head, "Just dropping by."

Alexander simply chuckled, clearly amused, "Boyfriend's upstairs." He said nodding towards the stairs, "You can go right on up."

"Oh, he's—"

"Save it, Boss." He winked at her, "Secret's safe with me."

The brunette ran up the stairs and tiptoed her way into Luke's room. She let herself in and found Luke sprawled on his bed, reading a worn out copy of a Steinbeck novel. "Look at Broody going all bookworm." She said with a dimpled smile as she crawled up into bed with him.

"Hey, whatcha doing here? I thought you had practice all afternoon." He asked, closing his book and tossing it on the nightstand table.

Brooke sighed, "Cut short. The Dean changed it up and he wants the Football Team to be in the routine and since I'm so busy with everything else for Homecoming Week I just passed it on."

"Okay." He chuckled, "And what brings you around to my neck of the woods?"

"Well," she said as she began unbuttoning that stripped blue shirt he always looked so good in and straddled him. "I got a little bit of down time so I figured…" she leaned down to nibble on his earlobe and whispered, "A little afternoon delight is just what I need to get back into gear for the rest of the day."

Luke got a hold of her chocolate locks of hair and moved it as he began to leave a trail of wet kisses down her neck, shoulder, and collarbone.

She quickly discarded his shirt and began kissing down his chest while tugging down on his jeans. He'd already parted with her shirt and bra, and was working on removing her skirt. When it came to getting Brooke Davis out of her clothes, his hands seemed to work automatically.

Brooke was kissing him rapidly and hungrily, her hands all over the place driving Luke wild. "I want inside you." he said gruffly, "_Now_." And Brooke was happy to oblige. Both of them pulling the other closer and closer, meeting each other thrust for thrust.

Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, Luke couldn't help but to bite down on her neck, once again leaving a mark. This time Brooke didn't seem to mind.

Luke could begin to feel the buildup and skillfully slid his hands down to Brooke's ass, pulling her even closing, their bodies fully meshing together, making every movement more intense and eliciting an orgasmic moan from the petite brunette's luscious ruby red lips.

He could feel her coming and he thrust harder and faster until they both reached their hazy ecstasy-filled climax.

Brooke fell limply on Luke's chest and he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "Fuck." He hissed, attempting to catch his breath. Brooke was just too damn good at what she did.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Commented Brooke with a giggle.

-xx-

When Brooke woke up she felt around the bed to find it empty. She sat up on the bed, sheet sliding off her, and looked around the room for Luke.

He sat on the windowsill, twirling a cigarette between his fingers and staring out the window pensively. Finally, he brought the stick to his mouth and lit it up, taking in a deep puff.

"God." scoffed Brooke, "You smoke?"

Luke smirked, putting the cigarette out on the small ashtray in front of him. "Not anymore." When he was in high school he had a serious chain-smoking habit, which he pretty much broke when it started messing up with his game. But every now and then he relapsed back into it and had a smoke. A guy can't quit _every_vice.

Smirking once more Luke said, "I'm lovin' the view, though." He licked his lips at the sight of her exposed chest.

Brooke didn't even flinch. Nothing he hadn't seen before. "What time is it?"

"A little after 4." He said after glancing at the clock. "I wore ya out pretty good. You've been out like a log for an hour."

"Don't overestimate yourself, Scott." She sneered, "I've been busy lately. Between the Sig float and classes and the squad and…Clay-drama, it's all just been totally hectic."

He chuckled, "I'm really sensing the support here. You spend all your time at the Sig House, you're helping them with the Homecoming stuff and—what's wrong with Clay now? That jackass is always hanging around you."

"Goody." She replied unenthused. "Possessive Luke is back. Oh, how I've missed him."

A guttural groan formed deep within his throat and he rolled his eyes, "I was just sayin'."

Brooke pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, letting out a deep breath. "Well, I really wish you wouldn't _say_, Luke. I'm stressed out enough as it is. You're supposed to relieve my tension, not add to it."

Luke smiled a self-assured smile and climbed into bed, positioning himself behind Brooke and massaging her shoulders. He tossed her hair over her shoulder and kissed the back of her neck. "You worry too much, Davis." He whispered against her smooth, creamy skin.

"And you don't worry enough, Scott." She countered as she scrambled off the bed and scanned the floor for her clothes. She frowned, how the fuck did her shirt end up on the ceiling fan?

She slipped back into her clothes almost as quickly as she slipped out of them. Luke cut her off at the door. "Is this gonna be a thing?" he asked, his brow furrowed. "Are you, like, mad or whatever?"

The brunette scoffed in disbelief, "No, Luke." she rolled her eyes and shoved him out of the way, "I'm not mad or whatever."

Luke rubbed his temples in frustration. "_Don_'t slam the—"

_Slam!  
_

"Yup, she slammed it." he sighed, running his hands through his buzzed hair. Why was it that he never managed to _not_ piss off that tiny brunette? It's like one step forward and two fucking steps back.

He really needed to learn how to handle Brooke better if he ever expected her to call him her Boyfriend.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Blackwell — East Campus  
Duke University **

Clay woke up startled by all the movement around him. "Damn, Legs, it's early. You leavin' me already?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

The blonde ran around the room frantically wearing only her worn out blue jeans and her black bra. "Thanks to your Cheer-Nazi BFF, I have to go spend half the day attempting to teach the football players how to dance, or at least how to fake it."

Clay fell back against the pillows tiredly. He wasn't even half awake yet. Not even close, actually. "Well, first: do not talk smack about Brooke, she's my sister and she took a huge leap by letting you—a freshman—plan this whole thing." he said with as much of an easygoing tone as he could muster. Brooke had been ignoring all of his calls the last couple of days.

Peyton didn't even bother answering anything back. "Have you seen my Clash t-shirt? I think I had it on last night."

Clay's trademark lopsided grin quickly spread across his face. It was lying on the pillow next to him. He particularly remembered sliding it off her yesterday.

That smirk-y grin of his was a telltale sign that the shirt was in his field of vision. Spotting it, Peyton put a knee into the mattress and leaned over him to reach it.

Clay slid a hand behind her knee and tripped her so she fell on top of him. "And second: don't leave, it makes me feel_ sooooo_ used."

"Right. 'Cause being used for sex would bother you." she countered.

He wrapped his arms around her waist in an attempt to stop her from getting up. "Well, it doesn't bother me _per se_, but I do feel slightly cheapened."

She leaned down to capture his lips in a sensual kiss and, when as predicted, his hands flew up to cup her face and play with her hair, she slipped out of his grip. "I _really_ gotta go, Clay. Stop being cute to try and keep me here."

Clay gave her his best pout/smirk that usually charmed her back into bed. He'd always enjoyed the morning quickies.

But this morning she really couldn't sleep in with him. "Okay, you've been sleeping here for, like, five nights in a row now. What happened, you got kicked out?"

"Well, there's the sex." He said seriously, "And let me tell ya, you are one _flexible_ blonde, Legs."

Peyton raised an eyebrow, "Right." She checked her watch. "And now I'm really late." She said heading for the door.

"Whoa!" Clay immediately jumped up, stepping in between her and the door, "Don't I get a goodbye kiss?"

The tiny blonde let out a groan, "Come on! If you touch me we're just gonna fall back into bed again and I can_not_ bail on today. Brooke will kill me if this isn't done right."

"I'll be good. I promise." Clay said with an innocent tone, raising his hands in the air as he leaned down to kiss her lips. They were warm and she tasted minty. She let out a moan as he bit her lower lip and then pulled back.

Glancing at her watch again, she sighed in surrender, "Twenty minutes." Clay immediately scooped her up and threw her on the bed. When he hit that spot on her neck she moaned again, "Okay. Maybe thirty."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Sigma Chi House**

"God, you're good at that." admitted Rachel as she collapsed against Nate's chest. That boy bent her in ways she didn't even know she could bend in.

Nate smirked his best smirk, "Aw, don't self yourself short. Ya ain't half bad, Red." Rachel Gatina had a way of leaving him spent. Saying otherwise would be a lie. He was man enough to admit to that.

Rachel rested her head against his chest and he leaned down to take her scent in. "You smell like violets." He said drowsily in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rachel let out a small laugh, "And you smell like Drakkar Noir. What about it?"

"You're fun, Red." He chuckled, "That's why I like ya."

The redhead moved up so she was looking right into his blue eyes. "And you're great in bed." She said, leaning down to peck his lips. "That's why _I_ like you."

He just laughed at the comment and continued playing around with the long strands of her perfectly red hair. She was one hell of a bed-buddy.

After a couple of hours Rachel sat up. "Time?"

Nate checked out the clock. "One."

"I gotta go." She said, grabbing her jeans off the floor, "I'm supposed to pick up my new uniform." she licked her lips, chuckling, "Maybe I'll stop by your little sister's practice."

"Oh, play nice with Peyt. She's my baby sister." Stated Nate.

Rachel simply buttoned up her shirt and shrugged, "She's a freshman, Scott. She's gotta learn. You know that."

Nate sighed, resigned. What else could he do?

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brodie Recreation Center  
Duke University **

Never had she felt such frustration before. Half of these guys couldn't even tell left from right. Peyton let out a shriek, "What part of 'get into a straight line' didn't you understand?" exhaling deeply, she managed to get a cheerful smile on her face. "Come on, guys! Let's go. Let's go. Come on. Get up. Get up." she clapped and pulled a few of the guys up off the floor.

She attempted to teach them the simplest cheer she could think of, but neither of them was having it. "Okay. Fine. Let's just take a break. Take five, guys." They all quickly huddled up and began horsing around. "_Five_, guys. We are nowhere near done yet."

Rachel walked in and stood next to Peyton, checking out the players. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard Owen, Riggy and Dean where gonna be dancing in here. That was something I had to see for myself." Said an amused Rachel, "How's the routine going, Little Scott? Practice is tomorrow, you know."

"They just…" Peyton sighed, "They're burly football players with two left feet. I can't get them to cheer, much less dance."

Rachel shrugged, "Life's tough. Get a helmet." She tilted her head slightly as she watched Dean taking off his wife beater. "Now, see that? _That_ is entertainment."

She passed by the guys and they all wolf-whistled at her as she exited the room.

Peyton smiled, an idea finally hitting her. She stood up on a chair and signaled for the guys to quiet down. "All right, all right! I figured out how we're gonna do this." she beamed proudly, "Everyone, shirts off. _Now_."

The players whooped and clapped, and immediately discarded their wife beaters and t-shirts, proudly showing off their toned bodies and flexing their muscles. "And _that_," started Peyton, "Will be our entertainment. All right, everyone in a straight line!"

This time, the guys immediately complied.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Brooke & Haley's Apartment**

Rachel and Haley sat on the couch yelling and cursing at the TV while playing a heated game of _Call Of Duty 4_. If the guys could do it, they could, too. It wasn't that complicated.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" shrieked Rachel, then she took a hit. "Motherfuc—"

Suddenly, both their cell phones went off with the same message from Brooke. Haley reached hers and passed it over to Rachel.

_**From: Tigger**_

_meet me at 113 Lakeview. 3B._

Brooke attempting to be mysterious was not a surprise to either of them. With a shrug, Haley asked, "You car or mine?"

-xx-

Rachel and Haley arrived at the address Brooke had texted them and went inside. "Okay, so third floor, right?"

"3B…" said Rachel as she checked out the numbers on the doors. "I think it's that one over there."

Haley knocked on the door, "Brooke. You in here, Tigger?"

A tall guy opened the door and ushered them inside. "You two B's friends?" The females nodded, "All right, this is it. Three bedroom, kitchen, bathroom's over there. Living room's a little small, but it's pretty comfy. Plus, it's a walk from here to the West Campus. And I got you guys a good deal so it's pretty much a steal."

The girls exchanged confused looks and then the door opened loudly and Brooke jogged in to stand next to them. "Ah, good, you're here." She said smiling, a little out of breath, "What do you think?"

"What is this, Brooke?" asked Haley as she looked around the place.

"Okay, well, I've been thinking over what Rachel said and she's right. She can't keep crashing on the couch. So…I began searching for a three bedroom place and this is it!"

"Damn." Rachel laughed impressed. "You work fast, B."

Haley raised an eyebrow skeptically, "How much more is the rent?"

"That's the thing!" Brooke squealed, nodding over towards the tall dude. "My boy got us a deal. It's only $200 more than what we pay now and we can split that easily between us."

After a few seconds, Haley smiled and nodded, "All right, all right! Lets get it."

In half an hour they'd signed the lease and paid first month's rent. Rachel checked her watch and groaned, "Crap! We're gonna be late for the practice, Hales." She said, grabbing her jacket, "You coming to check it out, B?"

Brooke already had her Blackberry out, she shook her head, "Nah, I'll let Little Scott surprise me. And it'll give me a chance to get started on moving all our crap here."

Haley raised an eyebrow, "_You _are gonna move everything in here?"

"Please!" the brunette snorted, "I'm texting the Sig boys who aren't on the Football Team to get their asses over here and help bring everything over."

"Of course you are." Haley laughed, "Um, tell Clay to stay for dinner. He hasn't been around in a while and I actually miss his annoying presence."

Brooke cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Clay's busy." she said curtly, "But I'm sure some of the guys are gonna be happy to accept that offer."

They headed for the door and Rachel turned to face Brooke, "Text Nate, too. Maybe he and I can break in my new room tonight."

Brooke laughed and continued texting everyone.

_**To: Nate, Piz, Jay, Wilke**_

_need help moving 2 new aprtmnt.  
meet at 113 Lakeview.  
_

_-xx-_

Fifteen minutes later the Nate, Wilke, Jake and Piz were there. Plus Logan, Sam, Duke, and Matt who'd tagged along with them.

Sure, her go-to guys—Owen, Clay, Dean, Riggy—were busy with practice (or she wasn't speaking to him at the time), but she still found others who were willing to help her. No guy turned down Brooke Davis. She was just _that_ enticing.

Logan raised his hand, "Why am _I_ here?"

"'Cause you have a truck." Explained Jake, "I figured that using two cars we could get everything moved over here twice as fast."

Brooke flashed them all her dimpled smile. "Okay, here's what I figure we can do: Nate, you take Jake and Piz in Owen's truck; Logan, you take Sammy and Duke. Wilke and Matt stay here to bring everything in. And I'll set things up here. We can be done in a couple of hours."

Releasing a collective sigh, the guys bumped fists. "Ready, break!" they said before heading downstairs.

Nate stayed behind and pulled Brooke over by the waist, "So, B, boyfriend's a no-show?"

"Aw, you think you're so charming, don't you?" Brooke smirked up at him.

Nate smirked right back at her, "And I am." He assured her cockily. "Seriously, why aren't Luke and Clay here?"

"I didn't call them." She answered.

Nate opened his mouth, but she stopped him before he could speak. "Don't ask, Nate." She told him, a slight note of pleading behind the statement, "Just go. I want to finish this early."

"What the lady wants, the lady gets." He replied with a wink.

-xx-

By nighttime, the ten guys had managed to move in every piece of furniture. Then, Brooke, Piz, Jake and Sammy were at the old apartment packing up her and Haley's clothes (most of Rachel's stuff was packed away in her duffel bag).

When they unloaded the final batch, they fell exhausted on the couch. Upon seeing the couch was full, Nate lied down on the rug. "Kitchen's done. You need groceries."

"Speaking of, Hales is cooking tonight." Said Brooke, "Anyone interest in staying for dinner?"

Nate, Jake, Piz and Sam raised their hands. Logan, Duke and Matt had either dates or an 'ass that needs to be tapped', as they so charmingly put it before leaving.

"Cool." Sighed Brooke, "Dinner for seven it is."

-xx-

**AN: I know this chapter's a little short, but next one will be longer (and I'll try to get it up faster). Review and tell me whatcha think, dudes!**


	9. Who's Using Who?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Hey! I told ya I'd try to get this chapter up faster! Now, major thanks to all my homies who reviewed 'cause ya'll are awesome and you guys are what motivated me to get this chapter up (and an apology to cheerygirl333 for forgetting her). Tell me whatcha think, dudes!**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

Who's Using Who?

-xx-

**Thursday  
Brooke, Haley & Rachel's Apartment**

Brooke opened the door to her new apartment and walked in, Sam and Piz right behind her carrying an armful of eco-friendly grocery bags. Brooke Davis never did any of the heavy lifting.

Per Haley's texted request, she'd taken the boys out to supermarket to pick up everything they needed for dinner. (Of course the brunette had also planned a booze stop. They were celebrating moving day, after all.) She'd left Nate and Jake behind to finish organizing everything up.

"Men," Brooke called out, "the woman and the other men are back!"

Nate nodded as way of greeting and fell back into the couch, still playing with his silly, bright-green, plastic yo-yo. "Good. I just finished organizing the whole place up."

"No, you didn't!" Jake scoffed, "You just hooked up the Playstation and the TV."

With an indifferent shrug, the raven-haired Scott simply said, "Same difference."

Brooke just flashed the guys her dimpled smile, "Hey, I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl. Bust out the Rock Band, dude!" she said, pulling out a Corona six-pack out of one of the bags.

-xx-

Music could be heard all the way out into the hall. Brooke and Sam's out-of-key voices filled the living room: "_Whooooooaaaaaa! We're halfway there! Whooooooaaaaaa! Livin' on a prayer!_"

Rachel and Haley walked in to find them hogging the mike. Nate sat on the armchair banging on the drums. Piz rocked the bass and Jake handled the guitar.

"What is this?" asked Haley with a quirked eyebrow. "I thought you guys were unpacking the stuff." She added, gesturing towards the boxes scattered around the room.

They all just burst out laughing, clearly buzzed from all the beer. "Chill, Hales!" exclaimed Brooke in between a fit of giggles, "Look, we unloaded all the big stuff. The rest we can get later. Besides, I went to the market as instructed—"

"Yeah, you got pasta and beer." Scoffed Haley as she checked the bags.

"Uh-uh! Not true." Interjected Brooke, "The chicken is in the refrigerator _aaaand_ we got wine!" she pulled out a bottle of Barolo, "'Cause I know you think that beer is" —she paused to make air quotes— "just '_glorified dimwit juice'_."

Rachel immediately snatched the bottle and settled herself comfortably on Nate's lap. "Tutor Girl, relax. It's just…Moving Day. Come on, join the party!"

"We'll be good, Hales. _Promise_."

Haley glared, "Oh, shut up, Piznarski."

Jake got up and pulled Haley into a hug, brushing the hair off her face. "Sweetie, lets just…have _fun_ tonight. We've been stressed lately. It would do us good." He pleaded with his best smile, "We could both use a break and, you know…_please_? I'll help ya with dinner and everything."

Haley took one look at Jake's irresistible puppy-dog eyes and Brooke's pout, and she folded like a house of cards. "I'll get the glasses and the corkscrew." After a few seconds of whoops and claps, she added, "And you're all on fricking clean-up duty!"

-xx-

It was now a little after eleven. After devouring the amazing chicken alfredo pasta, which Haley whipped up in record time, they began working on downing the bottles of wine.

A high-end buzz had taken them over, their uncontrolled giggles and chuckles vibrated throughout the whole apartment. Unfortunately being sloshed was a new concept for Sam, Piz and Haley, and they weren't handling their alcohol that well.

The males had crashed down on the floor and decided to stay down there to avoid tripping over their own feet again. The intoxicating grape juice had eliminated all and any of Haley's inhibitions. (It also seemed to have erased any trace from her and Jake's previous fight.) She straddled her boyfriend's lap in a very unusual and sexy way, but hey, Jake wasn't complaining.

"All right, all right, Foster Brooks. Ya'll are a bunch of light-weights." said Brooke, removing the bottle from where the Never Been Tipsy could reach it, "Lets keep the game going! Who's up next?"

Nate leaned forward, grabbing his wine glass off the coffee table, "I'll take it. I Never…walked in on someone having sex."

Brooke, Rachel, Haley and Sam raised their glasses and took a drink.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Nate, Jake and Piz guffawed loudly. "See, B and Rae ain't that surprising, but since when do Haley and Sammy play voyeurs?"

Haley let out a screechy snicker, "Two words: Brooke. Davis…" she paused, "Roommate." The brunette laughed and took a small bow.

Then all eyes turned to Sam. "Pssh!" scoffed the gigantic brunette, shaking his bangs off his face, "Do you _know _my brother? Dean's a whore!"

"Me next!" declared Rachel, pursing her lips in thought, racking her brain for something she _hadn't_ done. "I Never…streaked."

Nate shifted her on his lap and smacked her butt, "Damn, we need to somethin' about that, babe."

The game continued for a couple more hours until the fifth bottle of Barolo was emptied. Nate graciously volunteered to play sober driver and drop everyone off since he hadn't had that much to drink. (And Rae still didn't have a bed so he wasn't missing out on breaking it in.)

Brooke and Rachel did rock-paper-scissors for clean-up duty. The brunette lost.

-xx-

It was somewhere around three am that Brooke finished picking up all the empty beer and wine bottles, stashing the leftovers in the fridge, and cleaning up all the dishes, glasses and pots.

When she finally slipped into her Batman boxers and CBGB's ratty t-shirt, a loud rapping on the front door woke her up. Who in the fuck made house calls at three-freaking-am?

The brunette stood on her tiptoes to look into the peephole. "You gotta be fucking _kiddin_' me." she grumbled as she opened the door.

There stood a completely drenched Luke Scott. Apparently, it was pouring outside. "Jesus, what the hell are doing here?"

"You moved." Luke was giving her a seemingly unreadable look. At least _she_ couldn't read it, and that was a first for her. It was a mixture of sadness and disappointment and that possessive anger that always lay hidden deep behind his every expression concerning that tiny brunette. He couldn't help it. The need to claim her was becoming almost primal for him. If only he could find a more amiable way to relay the feeling to her everything would be much simpler.

Brooke tugged on her robe and hugged herself, "Yeah. It was a spur of the moment thing. The old place wasn't big enough for all three of us. Um…wha–what are you doing here, Luke?"

The brooder simply sighed, "You moved." He repeated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Luke, can you please just not do—"

"I know I'm an ass." he interrupted, "And I know that most of the time all I do is annoy you and make you mad at me for…_whatever_. That seems to be our default mode. I say something, you get mad and not talk to me and then we start all over again. But, you know, I'm…I mean, _we_'re…I want you to _tell me_ stuff." He deadpanned, "I'm no deadbeat. You can count on me. I'd have helped you move in and I'd have carried all your crap over here. You can bitch to me about whatever and lash out and slap me and stuff, but…don't shut me out." He grunted, "It pisses me off."

Brooke bit her lower lip in an attempt to suppress what she was sure would've been a huge dimpled smile. Because she could tell that, in Luke-speak, this was his way of telling her he _cared_. And she found it unbelievably cute.

"Get in here." She grabbed the hem of his gray hoody and pulled him inside, "We gotta get you out of this, you're gonna get pneumonia or something."

Almost unintelligibly he mumbled, "You're worth it." and he grabbed her forearm, pulling her close against his chest. His left hand firmly placed on her waist, he brought his right hand up to cup her face and traced circles on her cheek with his thumb.

The blonde chuckled quietly, "God. What are you doing to me, Pretty Girl?"

Brooke's dainty hands gripped the sides of his hoody and tugged it up. He raised his arms and allowed her to remove the garment and toss it aside. "Wanna spend the night…" she hesitated 'cause she was fully aware that she was slightly tipsy from the wine and that his sudden desire to show her that he cared were heavily influencing what she was about to say…but she said it anyway. "Boyfriend?"

Luke leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. It was light and quick, kind of like a habit. "I'd love to."

And with that, she led him into her room. Luke Scott had a tender side. Who knew?

-xx-

Next morning Brooke woke up and headed for the kitchen in search of a large bottle of Advil. Wine and beer? …_not_ a good combination.

Rachel was occupying one of the stools near the kitchen counter and reading the paper.

"Morning, whore," The brunette yawned and stretched her long, lean arms over her head. "Where's Jaley at?"

"Well, Hales is currently passed out in bed. Jake did everything short of throwing her ass into a cold shower and she still wouldn't wake up." explained Rachel as she finished the last of her bowl of Lucky Charms, "He had to leave for class so he left her a note and a bottle of aspirin and water all at a reachable distance from the bed."

"Hmm." Stretching once more, she jumped up and sat on the edge of the counter next to her redheaded friend. "Ugh, my head hurts, got some—"

"One step ahead of you." Rachel pulled out a tall glass from the fridge and slid it over to her. "My patented cure for that undesired hangover headache."

The brunette inspected the glass and raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

"Remember that green puke-ish gunk that the guys mix to help the hangover?" Brooke nodded, "Well, this is just like that, but it actually tastes good."

Before Brooke could answer, Luke walked out of her bedroom wearing only his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs and a drowsy look.

"Goody, Lover Boy already broke in the new digs." Smirked Rachel, "Was it _good_?"

The brunette rolled her eyes and downed her drink. Oddly enough it tasted like a smoothie. Luke stood between her legs and wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her neck. "Mornin'."

"Just what this place needs: Joanie & Chachi part 2." Scoffed Rachel as she jumped off the stool and grabbed her backpack off the couch. "I'm gonna go. Class. See ya later, B. Remember, pep rally tonight."

Brooke and Luke just stared at each other for a few minutes. Blue eyes penetrating hazel eyes in an intense, blistering gaze. Eye Sex. Was there anything about that pair that _didn_'t involve sex?

Letting out a little laugh, Brooke grabbed an apple off the bowl in the center of the counter and jumped down. "I'm gonna go get dressed. I have a class, too." She stated without breaking eye contact, "You can, um, throw your clothes in the drier downstairs… And then _leave_."

Luke smirked, "A'ight." He said, also without breaking eye contact, "Want some help getting dressed?"

"No!" squealed the brunette, "I need to be on time today. But, uh…I'll see you at the pep rally? I'm emceeing." She singsonged.

He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Definitely."

"Okay." She answered with a dimpled smile before disappearing into her room and tossing Luke's clothes outside her door.

The brooding blonde picked them up and headed to the laundry room downstairs in his underwear. Damn. What was it about Brooke Davis?

-xx-

**Friday  
West Campus  
Duke University**

The entire campus was reverberating with school spirit. Everyone had on a shirt, hoody, jacket or sweats with the team logo and colors. You could easily get lost in a haze of blues, grays and whites.

Members of every frat and sorority ran around hastily making preparations for tomorrow's float competition and tailgate party before game night. A parade of guys painted blue from head to toe—the Devil Crü, as they called themselves—ran around frantically, spelling BLUE DEVILS on their chests.

Brooke walked toward her apartment immediately after class—per Rachel's request that she be there to sign for the delivery of her new bed.

Her head was pounding a bit since they still hadn't invented a Hangover Headache Pill and the redhead's patented cure seemed to have worn out. The pounding on her temples only increased when she saw who was sitting outside the door waiting for her.

"You moved." Stated Clay with an almost icy tone.

The brunette couldn't help but to let out a dry laugh. "Oh, this is like a really bad déjà vu right now."

Clay stood up clearly upset, "Don't fucking laugh!" he demanded.

Brooke sneered, "How'd you even find out?"

"Well, you used Wilke to help you move. He's my Lil' Bro. And the Pledge is a fuckin' blabbermouth. That's not the point." He stated. "You _fucking_ moved, Brooke. And you didn't tell me."

"Oh, you have got some nerve demanding that I tell you anything, Clay." Scoffed Brooke, "After the position you put me in, I don't owe you shit right now!"

"Hey! I am your _best _friend, Davis—your _brother_. I'm _always_ here for you." he screamed, "You're pissed, I get it. But that doesn't mean you just cut me out!"

"I don't even know you right now, Clay! You know I'm not a member of Blonde & Bitchy's Fan Club, but…sleeping with your boy's sister out of spite? Seriously!" she screamed right back at him. "That is _beyond_ low."

It was Clay's turn to scoff, "You know, you really shouldn't act like you're so much better than me. Or do you think what you started with Nate _wasn't_ low?" he stated, "And I really wish you'd stop yelling that I'm using her. Is it really that impossible that I just find her attractive!"

Brooke nodded, "You are completely right. The Nate thing was a cheap move on my part. You wanna know the difference? I _stopped it_." She hissed, "Oh, and I talked to Nate, he said you hadn't slept in your room all week. He thinks you're bouncing around from sorority to sorority, but I'm betting you've spent the past six nights on top of Peyton Scott." She snorted with disdain, "And as for you liking her, you like anything in a skirt. That much we all know. But actually following through on it and screwing her, _that_ you did out of spite and don't you dare deny it."

Brooke stuck her key into the door and unlocked the apartment. Clay grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "What the fuck's it gonna take, huh? What do I gotta do to make it right again—what's gonna make it all better?"

She snatched her arm away violently. "You need to end it, Clay. _Before _you dig yourself into an even deeper hole. And try to make things right with Nate again. Now, I have no idea how you're gonna tell him—or Luke for that matter—about you and Little Scott, but you can deal with that after."

"What is that, blackmail?" Clay sneered, "You won't talk to me unless I stop seeing her?"

"Seeing her?" Brooke snorted in disbelief, "You say that like you're serious about her, like she isn't just another one of your temporary flings—another _fuck & run_." She sighed, "There is no blackmail. You got it right the first time. You're my best friend, my brother. In a few days I probably won't be as pissed and we can return to some kind of normalcy…but things aren't gonna be really right until you fix this mess. And you know it, too."

With that, she closed the door. Clay just stood there in the hall. He had somehow put both himself _and_ Brooke between the rock and the hard place. And he had no clue about how to get either of them out of it. At least nothing that wouldn't make him feel like a major dipstick.

-xx-

Inside the apartment, Brooke slammed her keys into the bowl and rubbed her temples in a useless attempt to relive the pressure.

Haley jumped up from her spot on the couch, removing the ice-pack from her head. "Clay is sleeping with Peyton?" she asked with a groggy tone, "Peyton _Scott_?"

Brooke placed a hand on her chest, startled. "Fucking hell," she said releasing an overwrought sigh, "You're alive!"

"Barely." Mumbled the honey blonde, firmly rooted on her spot in the couch.

Releasing shaky breath the brunette questioned, "Hales, how much did you hear?"

Haley sat up, readjusting the ice-pack, "Pretty much everything. This hangover makes everything sound _soooo_ much louder than it actually is. I feel like I got Spidey-Senses and trust me, right now they're definitely a-tingling."

Brooke just nodded. "Don't tell anyone, Haley. Not Jake. Not Nate. Not Luke. Not. A. Word."

"I can't lie to them—"

"And I'm not asking you to." Interjected Brooke, "Just don't say anything. It's not our place…and I can't do that to Clay." She sighed, "For me, please don't tell anyone—and that includes Jake 'cause you know he's Luke's boy."

"Tigger…"

"Don't. Just don't, Hales." Said Brooke, "I know it's messed up, but I need you to do this for me."

Haley just nodded, 'cause as true as it was that Jake was Luke's boy, she was Brooke's girl. "I won't tell, Tigger." She groaned and fell back onto the couch.

"Thank you." Whispered the brunette, still not quite able to silence that nagging voice telling her that it was only a matter of time until either Scott boy found out.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

The Sig house was in a flutter. When over half of the Pledges and Actives—including the Head Of House—were starters on the football team, Homecoming Week was a mess to organize.

Still, the truck was rented, the float was built, the tailgate was more or less organized, and the victory party was _definitely_ all set up right down to the pre-game party at Al's and the huge after-game kegger at the House including a live performance by Carolina Liar.

Clay was walking around not bothering to pay attention when he bumped into Nate. They exchanged awkward looks and continued to stand there avoiding each other's eyes.

"So, uh…where've you been sleeping lately?" asked Nate.

Clay rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Something told him that saying: 'oh, you know, I've been sleeping with your sister for the better part of last week', wouldn't go over so well. "Around, you know me, man." He said, attempting to put on his usual grin, "Can never stay in one place too long."

Nate chuckled at the comment. "Yeah, um…" he paused, "Look, dude, I know that we've been…but, uh, you know, it's cool now. Well, not cool 'cause I still had to see my baby sister shove her tongue down your throat and—"

"And you got with Rachel to piss me off…"

"It wasn't about that—not entirely, at least." Nate intervened, "But I know it was fucked up and I shouldn't have."

Clay said nothing because he knew he wasn't one to talk. Brooke had just completely chewed his ass out and a part of him knew she was right. Sure, he was having fun with Peyton and as long as Nate was pissed and not talking to him it didn't really feel like he was doing anything wrong.

But Nate had finally decided to bury the hatchet, "Hey, it's, um, it's all right. I mean, not really 'cause I was pissed at first, but…not harm, no foul." They bumped fists as a way to mark that they were more or less friends again. Clay simply plastered on a fake smile. He knew damn well that if Nate found the things he'd been doing with his baby sister he'd find a way to bury the hatchet all right…in his neck.

"I'll see ya round, then?" stated Nate, "Maybe you can actually crash in your own bed tonight, huh?"

"We'll see." Fucking hell…what was he going to do?

-xx-

**Friday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke University**

The gym was packed. Everyone from 18-year-old freshman to 50-year-old alumni crowded the bleachers, creating a stupendous blur of white and blue.

A large banner reading TRASH 'EM, BLUE DEVILS covered the back wall of the gym. Brooke took center stage, microphone in hand. "Whoo! All right, how's everyone doin'? We all pumped for tonight's game!"

The crowd broke off in applause and hoorays, urging Brooke to continue. "Well, without further ado, let's bring the team in! Drum roll please." The band complied and she continued, introducing the players from linebackers to the running back as they jogged into the gym. "Finally, our star QB, the team captain—Owen 'Big O' Morello!"

Owen received an unusual amount of cheering and applause. The guy was a _legend_. He'd been the reason Duke was getting so much of the spotlight in football—he'd broken all the records his freshman year, made QB 1 his sophomore year, and was set to win the NCAA tittle now on his junior year. By his senior year, he was bound to be drafted into the NFL easily.

The football players stood in two straight lines the center of the gym wearing their white game jerseys and dark blue sweats. Each player had a cheerleader standing next to him (back-up in case they lost their steps).

"Now, this year we're shaking things up a bit and our boys are gonna be tonight's entertainment!" yelled Brooke into the microphone, "So let's hit it."

The speakers started thumping, the opening beat of Kevin Rudolf's "Let It Rock_"_ blasting through the crowded gym. The guys moved clumsily, swaying their hips from side to side and clapping along to the beat as they'd practiced. The squad dancing along with them.

_Well, you made your bed, I made mine_

_Because when I arrive, I–I bring the fire_

_Make you come alive, I can take you higher_

_What is this, forgot? I must now remind you_

_Let It Rock, Let It Rock, Let It Rock!_

Raising their hands behind their necks, they pulled their jerseys off and tossed them to the crowd. Finally, the girls sat Indian style between their legs and ripped their sweat pants off leaving them only in their boxers, and then they turned around and shook their butts for the crowd.

The team's usual show boaters—Dean and Tim—continued to move, grinding up and down against the cheerleaders and eliciting loud hollers from the public.

They took a bow and jumped off to the locker room still clad in their underwear.

Brooke clapped along with everyone else, not wanting to kill the team spirit. "Whoo! Did you like that?"

Everyone jumped up to their feet, screaming and clapping madly. "And there you have 'em, this year's Blue Devils and your future NCAA Champions!"

-xx-

Back in the locker room, only Rachel, Brooke and Peyton remained. Everyone else had already left for Al's.

"What'd you think of the dance?" asked Rachel softly enough so that Peyton couldn't hear.

Brooke narrowed her eyes. "It was okay. Definitely played to the guys' strengths. But…I'm gonna get called into the Dean's office first thing, I'm sure."

"Why?"

The brunette licked her lips, "I'll explain later. Give me and Little Scott a minute alone."

"Gonna hit her?"

Brooke chuckled, "Not tonight."

Walking steadily over to Peyton's locker, she slammed it shut with her elbow. "Nice dance, Little Scott." She sneered.

"You know me, Brooke, wouldn't dream of letting down my squad captain." Jeered Peyton with a mocking glare as she picked up her gym bag.

Brooke scoffed, "Say, did you by any chance know when you planned that little number that the college frowns upon anything that the donating alumni would consider 'lewd public presentations'." It was a statement, not a question.

"God, no I didn't. Ya think the boys stripping counts as that?" asked Peyton sardonically, "Look, it was nothing you wouldn't have done."

The brunette looked her up and down, "Trust me, Little Scott, you do not want to go to war with me."

"I don't. I'm just not gonna get trampled on anymore. Especially by you. You're screwing my brother—or should I say _brother_s, 'cause you're still stringing Nate along. And you tried to bury me by handing me the pep rally gig. Don't be so surprised when I bite back." Said the curly blonde.

"Oh, you're one to talk." countered Brooke, "You're the one desperate enough to become another notch in Clayton Evans' already more than marked bedpost. Do you really think you're any different from all the other girls?" she snorted, "He doesn't even take you out in public. All you really have is a few nights shacked up in your sad little dorm. Clay's hook-ups have the shelf life of a gallon of milk. So you know that you're about to reach your expiration date, _Little Scott_."

"Screw you." hissed the now more than pissed off blonde, "And my name's _Peyton_."

Brooke watched her exit the locker room. She wasn't that pissed about the dance. Honestly, all she'd get was a slap on the wrist—whether the dance could be qualified as lewd was definitely arguable. But the fact that Little Scott had tried to screw her over pissed her off.

And Peyton Scott was starting to get a backbone.

It was about damn time, too. But she seemed to have it out for Brooke, which was definitely gonna be troublesome. But Brooke was certain she could handle anything Little Scott threw at her.

-xx-

**Friday  
Al's Backyard**

Al's was filled to capacity, there was even a line outside to get in. No doubt a preview for tomorrow's Sig Victory Party. Black Eyed Peas' _I Gotta Feeling_ was pulsating throughout the bar. The dance floor was jumpin' and the bass was pumping, sending vibrations throughout the cramped space. You couldn't take a step without bumping into someone.

Rachel attempted to make her way through the swaying and shifting warm bodies without spilling the drinks. "Long Island." She said, handing Brooke a glass. They clunked them together and downed half of them in a sip.

"Mm, where's Hales?" asked Brooke while sucking on the liquor soaked cherry in her glass.

Rachel looked around, "Uh, I think she's with Jake…somewhere around here. Wouldn't try too hard to find 'em, the crowd would probably eat you up."

The air was getting pretty hot, bodies rubbing against bodies creating an exhilarating friction. The brunette fought the impulse to discard her shirt right then and there as she elbowed her way over to the bar.

Occupying the nearest stools where Dean and Riggy, the only two players who always managed to play gracefully even with a hangover.

"Hey, boys." Greeted the brunette. "Buy me a drink?"

With a lopsided smile, Dean slid a shot glass over to her and she downed it's content without question. She laughed, the warm liquid—whatever it was—scorching her throat. "You two gonna win the game for me tomorrow?"

"Ya know it, babe." They answered grinning widely.

All three toasted one last shot and Brooke went off in search of Rachel once more. Instead she found Luke, or more accurately bumped right into him.

Luke got a hold of her arms and steadied her on her feet. "Hey, I saw ya at the pep rally. You were one fuckin' hot emcee. The dance was…interesting. My baby sister did good?"

Brooke quirked her brow, wondering if she should tell him just how much she and his sister butted heads. After a few seconds of pause, she decided that their…whatever it was, couldn't handle her issues with Little Scott (on top of the ticking bomb that was Clay and Peyton's…whatever _that_ was).

So instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his upper lip, then his lower lip and finally she bit on it and pulled it playfully. "How about we find a way out of here and you can take me back to your room and keep me up all night long?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, babe." He answered, licking his lips, "Let's get outta here."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Brooke woke up early that day and, upon realizing where she was, her first instinct was to grab her clothes and sneak out the window, down the trellis and get the hell out of there before anyone saw her.

This morning, however, Luke was asleep with a really serene look on his face and he had his arms around her and she felt oddly content just lying there with him. So that's what she did.

They both woke up sometime after 12 when Duke Orsino waltzed into their room in search for spare change to pay for pizza.

"Dude," Duke chuckled, impressed, "Fuckin' nice!"

Brooke grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Get the fuck out, Duke!" They both howled scornfully at him. Brooke continued throwing pillows and cushions at him.

"Jeez! A'ight, a'ight!" He grumbled, fending off the last of the pillows. Brooke's sheet had slid down a little, revealing her breasts. "Damn, you are one _lucky_ fuck…" he mumbled to his blonde counterpart.

Luke immediately covered her up and picked up the basketball near his side of the bed, and hurled it violently at Duke's head. "SHIT!" he exclaimed, rubbing the spot the ball hit, "Relax, I'm gone! Peace out, man."

Luke fell back into the bed and Brooke fell onto his chest, both laughing. "This never happened before." She giggled into his neck and he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, well…it's worth it to wake up with up with you here." He smiled, "I've gotten so used to you sneaking out the window before I'm awake that I was a little jolted when I saw you sleeping next to me."

The brunette checked out the clock and sighed disappointed, "We gotta get a move one. We're gonna miss the tailgate and the float competition."

She motioned to get out of bed, but Luke pulled her back in. "Screw that. Come on, Pretty Girl, let's just be late. Every guy in this house is gonna go and we'll have the whole place to ourselves."

The brunette hesitated. "Uh…I don't know, Luke. I mean, I'm the squad captain. I'm supposed to at least make an appearance—"

"Oh, _fuck _appearances!" He offered, "We can lay here a little longer, maybe a morning quickie, then I can lick some whipped cream off you—breakfast in bed. And you know, we can shower and head off to the tailgate after… I'll soap up your back."

Brooke laughed and kissed him once more, delving her tongue playfully into his mouth. Hell, Luke felt good and it wasn't like she hadn't done her part to help the house. So what if she missed the tailgate? She'd be there later a night to cheer the team to victory and that was what really counted.

"You're on, Broody." She grinned.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Wallace Wade Stadium  
****Duke University**

As the teams marched into the stadium, it began to drizzle. Tonight's game was Duke vs. NCCU. And since it was Homecoming, the place was twice as packed as usual. The cheer squad stood at the sidelines and began to cheer as the team marched out onto the field.

The downpour quickly turned heavy. The audience got out their raincoats and the cheerleaders slipped on their sweats. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night cancelled a Blue Devil Football Game. Especially the Homecoming Game.

Haley shook her pompoms un-enthused. She hated cheering when it rained. "Jeez, it's really coming down now." she commented as she tugged on her hoody.

Brooke couldn't help the smile. She was actually excited about the rain. "You know what this means, right? Mud Bowl, dude!"

Rachel and Haley exchanged looks and burst out laughing. "God, you've been spending too much time at the Sig house, Brooke. They've completely dude-ified you."

The brunette shook her head, an amused smirk on her lips. "Just shut up and cheer." she instructed. They were right, though. All that time with the guys was ruining her.

A few hours later, the game was finally coming to a close. It had been going pretty tight all night. They were tied now, 45-45, only seconds left on the clock, and the Blue Devils wanted to bring it home for the win.

Brooke's loud voice bellowed over the rain. "Come on! Seconds to go, where do you throw?"

"Number 35. Dean's gonna drive!" The squad and the crowd yelled. Dean Winchester was going to have to have to push through to break the tie.

Owen's loud voice bellowed over the rain and the screaming fans as he yelled, "Set! Black pitch! Hut-hut!"

The crowd quieted down to watch the final play, the sound of the commentator blaring over the speakers.

'_Owen Morello lines up on the center. He steps back and pitches it to Winchester—oh, but he's taken down! And number 33, Tim Riggins has the ball now.'_

Freshman Tim Riggins was now going to have to push his way to score and break up the tie. It was the kind of opportunity freshman only dreamed of: win the big homecoming game, get one step closer to being one of the select Duke legends.

_'He's got room! He cuts inside. Oh, my! Puts his shoulder down. He clears _another_ tackle. Riggins is running like a man possessed! He is in the zone. Touchdown! Blue Devils take the win!'_

The entire crowd sprung to their feet, screaming madly. The cheerleaders jumped up in excitement, tossing their pom-poms into the air, and running into the field to congratulate their team.

Brooke jumped on Owen first, but she got passed around the arms of the entire team. They hugged her until she was almost as muddy as them.

Tim Riggins yoked up Rachel and tossed her in a mud puddle in an attempt to get her dirty. After a few minutes, the squad was practically as mucky and squishy as the players.

Rachel slapped Tim and he just gave her a what-the-fuck look. "Do you know how long it's gonna take me to wash this off, you moron!"

She was cut short when Brooke threw her a handful of mud. "Chill out, Rae! We won Homecoming, get a little dirty!" she too was cut short when Owen swung her around as they continued the celebration out on the field.

One thing was for sure…the Sigma Chi Party was bound to be epic.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

The roaring whoops of the crowd echoed through the air and flooded the Sig backyard. The large and elaborate homemade platform looked like it was about to collapse at any second as the band jumped on stage, swaying along to their own beat.

_I'm not over! _

_I'm not over you just yet. _

_Can't I hide it? You're not that easy to forget!_

The partygoers raised their bright blue cups in the air, their contents ranging from beer to vodka spilling out of them, as they moved in time with the melody of the song. Loud intonations of the final chords of the track filled the atmosphere: _WHOA-Oooh! WHOA-Oooh! WHOA-Oooh! WHOA-Oooh!_

Dainty hands gripped her cup tightly as the fiery brunette downed her tenth drink of the night. The Sigs always spared no change when it came to having the best booze.

"Slow it down there, killer!" said an already intoxicated Rachel as she threw an arm around her best friend's shoulder. "The night's just getting started."

A snort graced Brooke's lips, "Please! Bevin already lost her top. Everyone here is borderline wasted. I'm just trying to catch up."

The redhead simply laughed, shaking her head. It was true, after all. Only eleven o'clock and a buzzed ambiance floated heavily throughout the multitude.

The lead singer leaned forward into the mike, "All right, this one's for everybody who's planning to leave here with someone tonight!"

A roaring multitude of '_fuck yeahs!'_ was the enthusiastic reply that boomed over the guitar riffs for the next song

_Did you come up to me so your night would be cheaper? _

_Did you make up your mind about me from the start?_

Brooke scrunched up her nose with an intense introspective manner. "Who _are_ we taking home tonight?"

"Fuck if I know," shrugged Rachel, "Alls I know is that at this pace, Jake and Haley are gonna be the ones taking _us_ home 'cause we're gonna be too smashed to even walk."

A giggle passed through the brunette's lips as she scanned the backyard for a certain blue-eyed broody blonde. "I'm gonna hang out for a while. You cool?"

_Did you come here tonight to find something deeper? _

_Or did you just follow me home 'cause you're scared of the dark?_

"Sure. Go do your thing, B." answered the redhead as she too scanned the crowd for a blue-eyed boy.

Rachel found Nate near the where they had the body shots. "Hey, Moody, looking for body shot?"

Nate chuckled, "Oh, Red, the only body I'm interested in licking right now is yours." He pulled her in closer and playfully threw an arm around her shoulders. Both turned their gaze towards the stage, Rachel's eyes stopping on Clay who was hanging by one the kegs with Wilke.

"Ya miss having him around, don't you?" Nate asked in a somewhat humorous manner. There wasn't a trace of grudging or crossness in his voice, he asked it as a completely matter-of-fact question. He knew the redhead liked Clay, and that she had only backed down because she wasn't about to share him with a freshman.

Rachel didn't shy away from the question. She'd never been a bullshitter and she wasn't about to start now. "Yeah, well…you miss Brooke. What's the problem?"

"I honestly didn't know chicks like you existed." Nate said, "You don't shy away from anything. It's kind of amazing, actually."

Rachel sniggered, "Oh, what, you wanna have some sort of heart to heart about it? Share our secret pain or whatever."

"You have a secret pain?" Nate asked with mock surprise. "Me too. It's kismet, just like we're meant to be!" he sneered.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, "Don't be a smartass." She responded, "You and me, we aren't a _thing_. It is what it is."

_Did you! _

_Did you really think you'd found somebody? _

_Or did the vodka make you leave with me?_

"Relax. No one's talking about forever here, Rachel." Nate deadpanned, "So far, I'm just planning for tonight...maybe the rest of the weekend." He joked, "Just 'cause I'm into someone who doesn't want me, doesn't mean I gotta spend my time pinning."

"And how exactly _are _you spending your time, Scott?" questioned an amused Rachel.

Nate's Infamous Smirk adorned his face and he offered her an endearing shrug. "Well, I've been slumming it with a _really_ hot redhead."

"Now you're talking!" Rachel laughed, shaking her head, her hair bouncing up.

Nate pulled her into a kiss, enfolding her in his arms and lifting her off the ground as his skilled hands got tangled up in her luscious locks of fiery red hair. They broke apart laughing, something they seemed to do a lot of together.

He slid his hands down to her ass and squeezed it. Rachel nibbled on his earlobe and he let out a husky groan. "Wanna go back to my place? My new bed finally arrived."

Nate just nodded and let her grab his arm and lead the way. With an amused chuckle he asked, "So…who's using who?"

-xx-

Over on her side, Brooke was having a hard time finding Luke in the multitude of drunks. She stood on her tiptoes attempting to find a Mohawk among the crowd.

As was usually the case, the brooding blonde found her. "Looking for me, gorgeous?"

"Oh, please. Get over yourself." Snorted the brunette, "I have."

Luke smirked, "Please, baby, you've only ever been able to get _under_ me."

His strong hands gripped her small waist tightly. He could tell she was way past tipsy. "You cleaned up pretty fast. I saw how everyone on the team covered you in mud. You know I don't like when it's other guys getting you dirty."

Brooke pulled away. She'd been enjoying the back and forth banter with him, as she always did when she had a few drinks in her system, but for some reason it always came back to the same thing with him. "Seriously. I am not gonna get into that with you again. Owen and Riggy and Piz and Dean, they're _friends_. They've got my back, I've known them for two years. The boys at Sigma Chi _know_ I'm off limits. And even if they didn't, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself… It's not like you _own_ me."

"It's not like that. I'm just—"

The brunette scoffed, "Then what's it like, Luke? Explain it to me."

"Will you stop cutting me off?" he barked with a glare, "It fuckin' pisses me off."

"What _doesn_'t piss you off?"

"Okay, okay. Look, here's how it is: I'm possessive and overly protective and I can't stand the way Riggins and Dean every other moron at the Sig house hangs around you." he started, "But—"

Brooke stopped him. "Explain to me why it is you're always so fucking hot and cold—"

"Hey,"

"'Cause one minute I swear you're normal and you're not gonna go all ape on me, but then your poignant—"

"Hey,"

"—animalistic jealousy kicks in and I don't know how to process that shit!"

"HEY!" he snapped, finally cutting her off, "Point is, I know fighting's kind of what we do and the angry sex is very hot so it's not like I'm complaining. But how about we try to do without for a while—the fighting, _not_ the sex. Most definitely not the sex." He chuckled, "How about we just…try it out. If it doesn't work, we can always go back to fighting. I mean, I still hold the record for making you go from normal to pissed in five seconds flat."

He smiled and Brooke let out a small laugh, "No fighting, huh?"

"Just a crazy thought. I can, uh, try to keep my 'poignant animalistic jealousy' in check." Luke shrugged and brought his hands up to cup her face. She pulled him down until their foreheads touched and their lips brushed slightly. Fuck, one touch was enough to send a jolt throughout his entire body. The friction of her body inching closer and closer to his was enough to drive him wild. He was already hard and he wanted to take her there and now.

Luke just bent his head and took her lips in a harsh, lustful kiss. A strange mixture of rum, vodka, tequila, and beer was on her breath, but she still managed to taste as sweet as strawberries. Her hands were everywhere, under his shirt and tugging on his jeans. When she nibbled on his lower lip, he couldn't help but to let out a sharp moan.

_Ain't it funny how you wake up running _

_When it felt…so right, LAST NIGHT!_

Luke drew her up into his arms and she wrapped her legs securely around his waist, but he pulled back. His blue eyes pierced hers waiting for her to answer his questions.

Brooke just smiled, "All right. We can give the no fighting thing a try."

They exchanged smirks before going back to devouring each other's mouths. Both of them wondering the same thing: how long could they truly last without having one of their blowouts?

-xx-

**AN –Input Time: what do **_**you**_** think should (or want) to happen next?**


	10. Pros & Cons Of Upsetting The Applecart

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Hey, I know this is real late and I really have no excuse. Muse just wasn't flowing (which is why this chapter is really crappy). I'm kinda tapped out, but I hope to update the next one quicker. But I'm super psyched to see **_**ya'll**_** liked the last chapter. The common ground of everyone's wishes seems to be that Clay and Peyton's relationship comes out of the closet (you guys love the drama), and I promise that it'll happen soon…patience is a virtue and all that crap. And, as usual, a fuckin' HUGE shout out to every single awesomest one of you who reviewed the last chapter 'cause ya'll PUMPED ME UP! Here's the next one, tell me whatcha think (feel free to throw more suggestions out there).**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

The Pros And Cons Of Upsetting The Applecart

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Anxious hands ran anxiously through light-brown, slightly rumpled locks of hair. Clayton Evans was a smooth talker. Everything about him was smooth. The way he walked, talked, even his demeanor was naturally polished—19 years of fine grooming gave him an air of natural confidence.

But that was a well put up façade. A trained routine that both he and his best friend had gotten drilled into their heads from a very early age:_ keep your composure_, _don't make a spectacle of yourself_,_ do _not _tarnish the family name_. And being best friends who told each other everything meant that all that BS didn't have a place in their relationship.

…Which is why he was debating whether or not to knock on his favorite brunette's apartment door. 'Cause he could spin no bull she wouldn't see right through, and he'd yet to end things with Peyton Scott.

_Knock-knock-knock_.

His balled up fist rapped hesitantly and quickly upon the oak door. Tugging his free hand back into his jeans' pocket, he waited for a response.

The tiny brunette opened up, still in her jammies, with a sleepy look in her eyes. "Oh, god…" Brooke moaned when she spotted her brunette counterpart. "What the hell…"

Clay flashed her his best lopsided grin and extended her a paper bag. "Venti mocha double latte, extra foam." He said with an abnormally cheery tone. "_Aaaaand_, those cherry Danishes you love so much." The female brunette simply scowled, forcing Clay to bring out the big guns. "Come on, Dimples, I'm trying here. I miss you and…come on. For your Clay-Bear?" He exclaimed, using the nickname she'd bestowed upon him when they were five and flashing her his infamous puppy-dog eyes and sad smile in an attempt to coerce her into letting him inside the apartment.

Caving and opening the door fully, Brooke walked back into the apartment without a word and Clay happily followed. Both parked themselves on the living room couch.

Brooke took a long pull from the carton coffee cup and scavenged the paper bag for the promised cherry Danishes. Clay's navy blue eyes roamed aimlessly around the room, stopping on a picture of the coffee table.

"Hey," he smiled, picking it up. On the corner of the frame, Jake and Haley hugged other tightly with wide smiles. On the other side, Brooke held two shot glasses filled to the brim and grinned mischievously while Clay and Nate kissed her cheeks sloppily. "Man! When was this…?"

The brunette couldn't help the smile as she inspected the picture. "Uh, freshman year, that Fall Out Boy concert we drove to. O took that picture, right?"

"Right. Good times." He grinned. Things were so much simpler back then. Running all over Durham in Owen's pimped out truck. The Golden Couple and The troublesome Three Musketeers…he honestly believed that Nate and B would hook up at some point. Then again, things never did turn out the way you thought they would. "Hey, were you and Luke…you know, when we took this?"

Brooke bit her lower lip and kinked her eyebrows, "Luke and I have been…you know, since before the first day of freshman year officially began. Sleeping together on-and-off almost two years now." She shrugged.

"Wow, that's…the longest you've been with a guy. Well, since Caleb, but we were in, what? The 10th grade." He commented. "I didn't think you actually _liked_ the other Scott. I'm—"

"Oh, save it, Clay! I'm still mad." she scoffed, "You haven't told Nate yet which means I'm still lying to him, Haley found out so she's lying to him, Jake and Luke, and what else… Oh yeah, your pain-in-the-ass girlfriend tried to get my ass chewed out by the Dean!"

His back immediately stiffened at the word. "Oh, come—she's _not_ my girlfriend!" Brooke and Clay seemed to be the fucking commitment-phobes twins.

His navy blue eyes opened wide as he quickly processed the rest of the information she'd just dropped on him. "And, _whoa_!—you got in trouble with the De—Hales _knows_?"

"Yeah. She overheard us fighting. Don't worry, tough. I plugged it. She won't tell." The thought appeased the male brunette slightly and he visibly relaxed, at least a little. "And yeah, that stupid dance she choreographed for the pep-rally was supposedly 'lewd'. I met with the Dean yesterday."

"And…?"

"Well, apparently an alumni—one of my father's friends, I'm sure—found the dance 'creatively charming', so he let me off with a warning this time." Brooke explained, "It was no big deal…still doesn't change the fact that the little bitch tried to screw me over. So it's now Open Season on Little Scott. Let the hazing begin."

Clay didn't even attempt to defend the curly haired blonde. The Bros Over Hoes Code applied to Brooke, too. Tail never came before his best friend. "And I am really sorry about that. I'll set her straight when I talk to her. So…are you ready to start liking me again?" he questioned, repressing a hopeful sigh.

They eyed each other teasingly and Brooke finally grabbed a cushion and hit him with it. "Well, you did bring me Danishes and coffee." She smiled, "We're good, but…you and Nate aren't gonna be when he finds out. Let alone the shit storm that will befall us—and when I say us I mean _me—_when Luke finds out. Way to have my back, by the way."

"It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision! I really did not think that it would upset the whole damn applecart!" He yelled in frustration.

Brooke couldn't help but to let out a wry chuckle. "Okay, first, don't yell at me. I'm going above and beyond by letting this slide. And second, yeah, screwing Little Scott did upset the whole damn applecart. Don't lie to yourself, you knew it would, but at the time it just seemed…right. Don't try to take it back now."

Clay chuckled too and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, feeling fucking ecstatic to finally be back to normal with his best friend. "How come dumb stuff seems so smart while you're doing it?"

"Cause the things we really want always seem like a good idea at the time."

"Yeah." He murmured. The problem was he wasn't so sure if it was a mistake 'cause Peyton Scott was fun and he had a good time with her. He'd avoided her all throughout the weekend and he was actually kind of missing that limber body of hers—say what you wanna say, but freshman girls were a _great_ fuck.

Brooke stood up and headed to her room. "I gotta go change. I'm heading out. But feel free to hang around here and grab a beer or whatever. Rae's left to meet Nate and Jaley's out at a class. You have the place to yourself."

"Yeah. I'm actually gonna head out." He cleared his throat and stood up. "I got a thing I gotta do."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Brooke had decided to head over to the Delt house to…_hang_ with Luke. She wanted to clear her mind off the drama. Plus, according to Haley, having sex with Luke 24/7 didn't qualify as them not fighting. It simply meant they found a more entertaining way to vent out whatever petty argument they were about to have next.

"_But we haven't fought since the Sig Party."_

"_Yes." The blonde conceded, "'Cause you've been going at it like dogs in heat. I bet you can't go two days without fighting if you aren't having sex… Hell, the way you two are, I bet you can't even go _one day_ without sex."_

As usual, the brunette wanted to prove the Tutor Girl wrong and decided that she would spend her free afternoon in a sex-free hangout session with the broody blonde. She walked into the spacious and strangely quiet house. The click-clack of her heels filled the lobby. The gorgeous brunette ventured further into the house to find a few of the guys—including _her_ broody blonde—in the den having a discussion about their philanthropy hours.

She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest, and stared at them with quizzically and slightly amused look. This was way more organized than the Sig meetings—there was a podium for the president and a table for the rest of the house officers, plus rows of chairs for the guys in the house.

Logan spotted her and smirked. "Ah, look who's graced us with her presence today. Brookie Davis, the Sigma Chi Mascot." He commented with his patented mocking tone.

"Hey, Echolls." Greeted Brooke as she confidently walked over to the table where Luke was sitting, putting a little extra sway in her hips just because, and settled herself easily on Luke's lap. He, while a little shocked at seeing her, simply wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned back comfortably into his chest. "Hmm, I know what you can guys can do to earn easy money and donate it to charity."

"Then please illuminate us, Brookie-Wan Kenobi." mocked Logan, resting his elbows on the podium.

"Have an auction." Stated the brunette simply, "This Friday's the Halloween 80's Night at Al's. You guys can auction yourselves off at noon before the party." Her cherry red lips pursed into her sexy pout while she pondered what to call it. "The Greek Gods Auction." She smiled triumphantly.

"That's…" started Logan, "Actually good. Anyone of you gentleman opposed to being sold off like cattle? Nope. No one? Settled then." He grinned, "Clear your Friday afternoon, Davis. You'll be auctioning Delt boys off to the highest bidder." He banged the gavel and said, "Meeting adjourned." Before promptly leaving the room.

A single piercing glare from Luke's icy cold blue eyes was enough to clear the room. Most of the guys left without speaking, but Duke, Sam, and Matt paused to greet Brooke or playfully nudge her hello.

"Hey, baby." He whispered into her ear before nibbling on her earlobe. The hand he'd placed around her petite waist began to expertly make its way up under her halter top caressing her stomach and moving all the way up to her supple breasts.

His other hand carefully turned her face as he leaned forward to capture her lips in a searing kiss. She responded automatically, turning slightly to make the kiss deeper. Luke parted from her lips and rested his forehead against hers.

Releasing a low moan and fighting her every instinct, the brunette grabbed his hand and slid it down and out of her top. She cleared her throat, "Didn't really come here for that." Fuck, was that her voice? Shaky and unsure.

"Really." He chuckled in that husky tone that always turned her on and began working on the stupid buckle-clasp thing that her skirt had with one had. He honestly preferred it when he could simply rip her clothes right off of her.

"Uh-huh." She whispered, all her resolve starting to melt as he delicately lifted her chin to gain better access and suck on that spot of her neck. Fuck. She wasn't some horn-dog with no self-control. She could tell Luke to stop and mean it… Right?

Shaking it off and jumping up from out of Luke's lap she sighed heavily. "Right." she repeated with a little more certainty. "I'm not here for a quickie. I wanna do something. Let's go get a burger or whatever. I'm kinda hungry." Horny was more like it, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

Luke stood up and gripped her waist, leaning down to capture her lips once more. "All right." he smiled, "Let me grab my coat."

Ugh…damn Haley for always being right!

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Al's Backyard**

Today's lunch crowd was scarce. Just two or three couples scattered around the booths and the usual drunks that were clinging to the bar for dear life. Brooke and Luke walked in like they owned the place, looking like the cliché couple of the prissy good-girl (which she really _wasn_'t) and the brooding badass (which he kinda was).

Wearing a plain white sleeveless t-shirt and his leather jacket, the blonde had his arm slung loosely around the brunette's shoulder as he ushered her to the nearest empty booth. "I'll go order."

"Okay, I'll have a –"

"Burger, extra cheese, nothing healthy on it and large fries. And to drink, a jumbo strawberry milkshake." He completed for her and shrugged. "I know what my woman likes." He winked cockily and headed to the bar with that smooth swagger that entranced Brooke.

Luke came back with the food sat across from her, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her down the food in almost record time. Still, that girl had a way of making everything look graceful.

Her hazel eyes met his blue ones when she suddenly looked up, "You're not gonna eat?" she asked in between bites.

"Not hungry." He shrugged and offered her a half-smile. "Want me to get you a refill on the fries?"

Brooke shook her head, her bangs falling and framing her face perfectly, "I'm good, thanks." She couldn't help but to smile when their eyes met again. She'd never been a relationship girl, but…Luke Scott had a way with her that even she couldn't explain and she wasn't sure she wanted to try to. Too often trying to label things was what screwed them up and right in that moment she just wanted to let things be…

Why upset the applecart, right?

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Once she was done eating, they headed back to the Phi Delt House under the pretense that she'd forgotten her purse there. They walked in and headed right up to his room –though they both knew full well that her purse would be downstairs in the living room.

Luke closed the door and tugged his hands into his jeans' pockets. "Well, now that you're fed, what do you wanna do next?"

The answer to that came quickly when she jumped him, effectively pinning him against the door, as she kissed him madly. And he responded in kind, running his hands all throughout her soft skin. God, he wanted her. She lifted her arms and he automatically discarded her top. She'd already torn his shirt open, ripping off a few buttons in the process.

The warmth of her chest against his created a startling heat that surged throughout both of their bodies. How'd he do that to her? She'd never been the girl that slept with the same guy twice. _He'd_ never been the guy who slept with same girl twice. Neither had been the kind to kiss with eyes closed. Or to want someone as desperately as they wanted each other.

Luke had no problem giving into this new array of unexplored feelings. Brooke, on the other hand, was scared shitless by the way her body seemed to crave his touch and the way that he seemed to soothe her –whenever he wasn't aggravating the hell out of her.

They didn't even make it to the bed. They crawled up panting and she collapsed on top him. Her breathing was more ragged than his. He'd drained out every ounce of energy right out of her this time around.

"Damn," she breathed heavily, "I hate Haley for being right."

Luke simply chuckled. "Hales is always right." He wasn't sure about what, but that honey blonde was usually right no matter what the subject.

He kissed the top of her head and delicately ran his fingers along her bare back, tracing circles on her silk-like skin knowing full well that his light touch sent flares of electricity down her spine.

Brooke shook off his hands and sat up on the bed. "Okay, seriously! What is it about you? I mean, you screw me, then you dump me. You like me, then you hate me. You show me a sensitive side, then you 180 back into a total asshole. It's a pretty accurate description of our…_us_, and yet when you touch me I just…you know… What can possibly be healthy about that? What the hell's the attraction for you?" _Let alone for me…_She thought to herself.

He sat up and drew her back into his arms. She reluctantly fell right back into him because their bodies were like two pieces of a puzzle and they just fit together. "Well, first off, I think it's I screw you, then _you_ dump me." he chuckled into the crook of her neck and she shivered, "And you, babe, you're just addictive. The things you do to me. You got me all twisted up." he sighed, "I just…can't help myself. I don't want anyone else."

"You don't want anyone else?"

Luke tucked a loose strand of chocolate-brown hair behind her ear. His emerald eyes piercing hers, "Why would I? I've got _you_."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

"You know," Began Nate as he slid on his sleeveless black t-shirt and zipped up his jeans, "I think you might be my very best friend, Red." He flashed her that goofy half-smile, half-smirk of his.

Rachel laughed, "You're already getting into my pants, Scott. No need to kiss my ass."

Nate just crawled back into bed and positioned himself of top of her. "Well, there's plenty I'd like to do to that ass." He grinned. "But that's besides the point. I mean it, Red. I tell you pretty much everything, we party, you get me..." He leaned down to peck her lips, "What's not to like?"

The redhead only laughed. The raven-haired Scott Boy made a pretty good point. As of late, he was her best friend. Sure, she had Brooke, but it wasn't the same thing. There were some things that Nate saw in her that, oddly enough, Brooke didn't. She'd never had that with a guy before. So yes, maybe this time around her best friend was someone she could talk to and have sex with all in one neat, handsome package.

"Then there're the kick-ass benefits you get—all the mind blowing sex." Rachel grinned, "You're right, I _am_ your best friend."

He laughed and only nodded. After all, she was right. "I got a class. Meet me at Sig house later? We can grab a bite…I can give you a couple of bites. Cool?"

"Okay, whatever." Rachel conceded with a grin. "But I get to drive!"

"Whatever." Nate rolled his eyes. Trusting Rachel to drive his baby—his Harley-Davidson Super Glide Sport—was even more dangerous than trusting Brooke to drive it. He wasn't just gonna give that up without getting something in return. "But I get to be on top this time."

Releasing a groan, the redhead caved. "_Fine_."

Nate smirked cockily, and slid his backpack over his broad shoulders. "Then I'll see ya later, babe." In all truth, it was always better when the quick-tempered redhead was on top –she did that crazy gyrating thing that drove him out of his mind. But he just hated relinquishing his control. Besides…it was all a part of their usual back and fort.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
****Blackwell — East Campus  
****Duke University**  


For the second time that day, Clayton Evans hesitated before knocking on a door. He wasn't sure about how he was gonna do this because he'd never managed to do it smoothly before…dump a hook-up.

And so…he paced awkwardly outside Peyton's door, wondering just what exactly he was going to say to her. He hadn't slept there all weekend. Since he and Nate were kind of good again, he was back to crashing in his Sigma Chi room.

But going with his first instinct, which almost always was to just wing it and hope for the best, he knocked on the ever-familiar door. The petite blonde opened up almost instantly. She was wearing black short shorts and a worn out AC/DC tank top. A towel hanging around her neck while she lazily toweled dried her curly hair.

"Hey, stranger." She smiled and moved over to let him in, "Haven't seen you in a while."

Clay rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah. Been busy. Figured it was time to sleep in my own bed for a change." He was well aware that the physical change in his manner was obvious. He was being colder, more dismissive than usual.

And the blonde could definitely tell something was off. "Come on, what gives? You haven't been by in, like, three days."

Clay shrugged attempting to be nonchalant. "Look, I need my space. It's just how it is, Peyt. I'm…the good-time guy. I'm your good-time guy. But that's about it. I've had a lot of fun with you this past week, but I am _not_ your boyfriend. I don't do relationships, and you're a relationship-girl—"

"And have I asked you to be?"

"Look, I thought we could do this thing, but now we just need to put some ice on it." he continued despite the interruption. "And really, I don't wanna get into any more fights over this. I got Nate, Brooke...it _really_ isn't worth it."

Peyton was thrown off, and slightly confused at the turn of events. "This is because of Nate? And Brooke Davis? _Seriously_?"

"I can't risk it." Clay admitted, "They're all I've got."

"Not _all_..." Peyton whispered.

The brunette frowned in disbelief. "What?" he asked, his tone inadvertently jeering. "We got each other or some crap like that?"

Peyton glared, "Dick." She hissed.

"I didn't mean it like that." he immediately corrected, trying to smooth things over. "Look, Brooke's my best friend. Nate's my brother. And you're his baby sister. By screwing you, I effectively screwed myself. Okay, fucking the baby sister behind his back? _Big_ disrespect. I was pissed, and you were there and you're tight and I wanted you. But they're my family. And I'd quit anything for my family."

Her green eyes pierced his blue eyes inquiringly. "And I'm anything?"

"I still like you—"

"You know what, how about we just don't." Peyton said curtly, her hands placed firmly on her waist. "If the hook-up's over lets just let it be over and not drag it out with crap like we actually care about each other."

Clay couldn't help a small smile at her 'hardcore' response.

Peyton Scott was still a freshman and he was pretty sure that he'd been her first college fling or whatever. And he wasn't a complete ass. He _did_ care. That little curly haired blonde was annoying as hell and she didn't really fall for any of his alluring one-liners and that made her more interesting that the rest of his easy lays.

But it was time to pull the plug.

"A'ight, then." Clay shrugged, "I'll see ya around, Legs."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Haley & Rachel's Apartment**

As if they'd coordinated it, Brooke and Haley arrived at the apartment at the same time. The honey blonde noticed how…disheveled her brunette best friend looked. Hair mussed in that after-sex way, top put on backwards, and skirt zipped up wrong. "Huh," she exclaimed with arched eyebrows and a smug tone, "I see the hang-out time with Luke was completely sex-free."

Brooke just rolled her eyes as she scavenged the pantry for something to munch on. After her multiple workouts with Luke she needed to regain some energy. "You don't look so composed yourself, Hales." Countered the brunette. "Looks like Jake ripped off a few buttons when he was helping you out of that blouse."

Hale blushed slightly. "Yeah, well, whatever. Anyways, I'm happy for you." She said with a sincere tone. "You and Luke seem good. He's been more...levelheaded lately. A relationship with you has actually been constructive for him."

"Yeah, put the brakes on, Hales. I wouldn't call it a relationship." Scoffed the brunette. "More like a really long hook-up."

"Oh, come _ooon_! You two are, like, totally mad crushed out. I wouldn't be surprised if you turn all l-o-v-e with each other pretty soon."

Brooke's eyes widened at even the spelling of the word. "_Yah,_ no way, Hales. Love? Seriously? You believe in that stuff?"

Haley chuckled in disbelief, "_Yes_." She stated as if it were obvious, her brow furrowed, "You don't?"

Brooke shook her head. "No. It's all biological and chemical body reactions. The high you get when you see someone is just your brain responding to an endorphin boost and pheromones. The whole soul mate crap is kinda of bogus."

"Right. So love simply doesn't exist." Haley said sarcastically, not quite believing what her best friend was saying.

"Nope. Love is just…a myth. If there's one thing I've learned is that it only exists in fairytales and movies. Relationships aren't made to last. No one's meant to be with just one person."

Haley's fingers played with a loose strand of her hair, "But what about you and Luke? As much as you avoid labeling it, you two _are_ in a relationship. I mean…aren't you guys exclusive? Or are you fooling around with someone else?"

"Not since he pulled us out of the proverbial relationship closet." Shrugged Brooke, "But before that, yeah. We weren't a thing, we were a hook-up. He slept around, too. It was no big deal. Look, it's simple. Sex is good. Relationships are bad. Relationships are what cause people to be cold and lying and deceitful. That doesn't do anyone much good."

Just because Luke had a sweet moment in which he said he wanted only her didn't mean that she could simply abandon what she knew and who she was. And all she knew where arranged relationships full of infidelity and disdain. And who Brooke Davis was is a girl who refused to ever get caught up in the fairytale crap to end up with her heart broken.

"Okay, so sex and fun and dating are real, and love's a myth, and relationships are crap…" recapitulated Haley, "Then what do you think Jake and I are?"

"Please." Scoffed the brunette, "You and Jay are different. Maybe you're the exception that proves the rule. In the end, the simple truth is that the world's not full of couples like you, it's full of a bunch of almosts that never really stood a chance."

Haley simply sighed and pulled her brunette best friend in for a hug. "Oh, Tigger, you are so incredibly…messed up." she laughed dryly, "What the hell happened to you? 'Cause you're just so cheery and your smile can light up any room, but you're still so…cynical. How'd you even get there?"

Brooke wanted to tell her that maybe it was because her father was a cheating bastard who fucked anything in a skirt or because her mother was too zonked out as Paxil to do anything about it or because neither ever gave a rat's ass about her. Maybe because she'd only ever had two close friends growing up—Clay and Rachel—and their relationships were just as fucked up as hers. But she didn't because that'd been over sharing and she didn't do big heart-to-heart moments. Not even with the honey-blonde who always managed to coax everything out of her.

"You call it cynical, I call it pragmatic." Brooke answered instead.

Their argument was cut short by a knock on the door. Brooke got up to get it.

Clay stood leaning against the doorframe. "It's done." He said with those charming puppy-dog eyes that Brooke knew all too well. "I kicked Peyton to the curb. And…you were right, I mean, I'm me. How long do any of my flings really last?" he let out a laugh, "It's not worth messing up anything over"

Brooke opened up the door fully and he silently followed her inside. The female brunette headed for the kitchen and fetched three cold Coronas out of the fridge. Clay walked to the living room and crashed down on the couch next to Haley.

The honey-blonde had never seen Clayton Evans actually look down. He was always as cheery as Brooke, a quick quip hanging on his tongue and that trademark lopsided grin adorning his face. Her nurturing instincts immediately kicked in and she put an arm around him, giving him a tight half-hug. Brooke sat opposite to Haley and did the same.

A couple of hours later, they'd switched to shots, emptying out a bottle of Patrón. Haley was a half-tipsy and fully convinced that the pair of brunette BFFs were beyond fucked up and she had no idea why. She could guess it definitely had something to do with some seriously deep-rooted mommy-and-daddy issues, but neither was willing to spill and she was too drunk to attempt to properly force it out of them.

Clay handed her the last shot of Patrón. "Really, Hales, you need to take a chill pill. Brooke and I, we're just…unique."

"Oh, _pleeeaaase_!" Haley scoffed, before pressing the glass against her lips and downing its content. The warm liquid scorching her throat all the way down, "_Unique _is an understatement. You two are just royally screwed up."

The brunettes exchanged looks and burst out laughing loudly. "I'll drink to that!" exclaimed Brooke, downing her last shot.

-xx-

Half an hour after that, Clay carried a drunken and mumbling Haley and tucked her into her bed. "There ya go, Lightweight. Sleep tight." He walked back to the living room and parked himself on what he had officially dubbed as his armchair. "A'ight, Dimples. The roomie's safely tucked in and sound asleep. Bring out the rest of the booze."

Brooke laughed as she scavenged the bottles in the back of the fridge. "Montrachet?"

"Bring it, B."

They managed to empty out the bottle in half an hour. "Mm, I know we both have issues with the fam, but how awesome is it that they—and by association _we—_own a vineyard, right?"

The chestnut-brunette eagerly nodded, "Damn straight, C." she said seriously, "I swear with the way we drink we're total borderline alcoholics."

Clay took a final swig, emptying his wine glass. "Yeah, well, I _am_ gonna take advantage of my semi-inebriated state and tell Nate tonight. I'm thinking that, since I did sleep with his sister, I might let him get a good hit in. But just _one_! Then I'm hitting back."

Brooke let out a dry laugh as she stared at the remnants of her glass. "Don't…" she sighed. Clay gave her a look full of skepticism and she continued, "Luke and I, we're actually good lately. And I don't really wanna ruin it yet. I think that maybe, kinda, probably…care. About him. Or not." She sighed, "Whatever, I just…"

"Don't wanna screw it up yet?" he completed for her with a confused yet fascinated smirk. Brooke Penelope Davis was with a guy she _didn_'t want to dump. It was a brand new concept for him. He'd never seen her all…_emotionally entangled_ like that.

"Exactly, I—" her BlackBerry ringing cut her off.

_**From: Luke**_

_the varsity has karaoke 2nite.  
wanna check it out?_

Clearing her throat, Brooke continued, "I, uh, gotta go. I got a thing with Luke. But you're welcome to crash here for the night. Couch's all yours, babe."

_Mwah_! She pressed a kiss onto his temple, grabbed her jacket and headed out, leaving the light-brown haired male wondering just _what_ was it about Luke Scott that had her so fucking interested. Out of all the guys who would happily go out with her, she'd picked the one douche-baggy caveman he couldn't stand.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Clay woke up to a book slammed against his head. "The fuck—" he sat up on the couch, startled. Sitting pretty on the kitchen counter across from his was a smirking Rachel Gatina. "Jeez, Freckles. Give a guy a little warning."

"_So_-rry!" she said, palms raised as a peace gesture, "Not really used to waking up to a guy passed up on my couch. You could've been a looter or a rapist or whatever."

The male brunette scoffed loudly, "A looter-rapist who decided to grab a nap on the couch before getting down to business? 'Cause those are so very common." he sarcastically stated, "The book hurt, by the way."

"Oh, don't be whiny, it was a paperback. You can take it." she smirked, "Besides, it's part of what makes me unpredictable."

The light-haired brunette couldn't help out the scoff. "Oh, I'll give you that much. See, you sleeping with my best friend? _Never _saw that one coming."

Ouch. That hurt. The redhead was taken aback by his bluntness. Even more so by the fact that she actually kind of liked it. "Yeah, well…sue me. I'm incorrigible."

"Ain't that the truth." Clay stood up, his strong arms stretching over his head as his eyes searched the floor for his shirt. Sliding his red button-down on, he headed for the kitchen and stole Rachel's cup of coffee. "Hey!" protested the redhead.

"Payback for book. It's give and take, Freckles." He explained, "You give me a book to the head, I take your morning coffee. It's only fair."

"Speaking of morning coffee, I was gonna head to Al's and grab some breakfast. We can call up Nate and B, make it a foursome." She suggested, "The Fantastic Four: Dimples, Freckles, Moody and…Rowdy?"

Clay furrowed his brow, "Nickname needs work, Freckles. And, um, I'll take a rain-check on breakfast." He checked his watch. "Crap! I'm gonna be late for a class." He hastily put on his sneakers and headed for the door. "See ya around, Freckles."

"Yeah," smiled the redhead, "I'll take you up on that rain-check, Clay."

Clay couldn't help the smirk. "Oh, I'm sure you will, Freckles."


	11. Who Knows You?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Yes. I've been a douche with the updating lately (Cassie already called me out on it). But I am really trying to do better. A shout out to all of you who patiently made it through the wait and left a review. You are officially **_**beyond**_** awesome. Hope you like this one. Tell me whatcha think. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Who Knows You?_

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

It was fifteen past twelve and the sunlight crept in between the curtains of Luke's spacious room. The large fraternity house was uncharacteristically empty. Logan and Jake had taken the pledges out on a booze run, and most of the rest of the guys had just left to do something or other, leaving only a few guys behind.

Luke, obviously, couldn't let the opportunity go to waste so he immediately called Brooke over. Things had been odd between them ever since they'd decided to not fight. He'd certainly been enjoying it, but they both knew the countdown was on for their next silly blowout.

Five, four, three, two, one…

"You know what the problem is?" Brooke yelled, "The problem is you're nothing but a misogynistic presumptuous asshole!"

_Zero_.

What was it they were fighting about? Honestly, she wasn't entirely certain. It wasn't about the party or Halloween… Damn! She really couldn't remember what they were fighting about. Of course, that made no difference. The brunette continued going off on him, matching him comeback for comeback.

"No, the problem is you being such a nagging bitch! It's all nag, nag, nag, nag –_all the fucking time_!" The blonde barked back at her with an amused smirk on his thin lips. He, too, wasn't entirely certain what this fight was about, but he wasn't about to let her go off on him without fighting back.

Hazel-green eyes intently scanned the bedroom floor in search of a black-lace bra. Luke fell back onto the futon and spotted it by his right foot. He expertly kicked it up over to her.

Brooke immediately slipped it on. Finally she was at least semi-covered up (not that her barely-there bra and panty covered much, but still). Arguing with Luke while she was half-naked certainly worked to her advantage because it deviated his attention.

The brooder daringly raised an eyebrow. "What, Cheery? No thank you?"

"Oh, you can go fuck yourself!"

"No need, babe. You just did it for me." Luke snorted.

Sliding on her skirt with one hand, Brooke slapped him with the other one –not with as much force as she did when she knew _why_ she was pissed at him, but enough so that it stung a little. The blonde took it all in stride. He was oddly used to it.

Luke got up and grabbed both of her wrists, forcing her to look at him. "Quit it!" he said, a slightly amused note behind his rough tone. He let out a gruff laugh and his lips curved up into a smile.

The brunette couldn't help but to laugh, too. "You're an ass." She smirked.

"Yeah, well, what else is new?" He'd dropped her wrists and brought his hands up to caress her face, leaning down to kiss her. Brooke responded, jumping and wrapping her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the bed and they both dropped onto it.

Luke laced his fingers through the sides of her panties and he slid them down in one swift movement. He pushed her hair off her ear and whispered: "At least we lasted a whole week without fighting. That shows _some_ restraint."

Brooke immediately flipped them over so she was on top. "Yeah, well, my restraint just ran out. Boxers. Off. _Now_."

-xx-

"I know it's gonna sound kinda weird," started Brooke, "But I've actually missed that." she admitted. "Fighting was always a turn on –except when you really were being a dickhead, then it was just annoying."

The broody blonde slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer against his chest. He'd never been a cuddle guy –his firm policy being that if the cuddling was the best part, they weren't doing it right –but he liked having her body close to hers. Brooke's scent was a intoxicating –a mix of _Channel no 5_, and something...something else. A naturally sweet-scented, patented Brooke Davis fragrance he couldn't quite put his finger on.

But everything about her was intoxicating: those cherry red lips that always tasted oh so sweet, those hazel-green eyes that hypnotized him in a matter of seconds, and her soft porcelain skin that he wanted to touch every single second of every single day.

Luke chuckled, "Oh, I always knew picking fights with me was just another way for you to get off." He commented cockily.

Playfully slapping his chest, she sighed, "I don't wanna get up!" she whined. "I've got class in, like," she checked out the clock, "Wow, half an hour ago… Eh, if I'm this late might as well skip it." She fell back onto his chest and cuddled up to him once more.

Strong arms circling her petite waist once again, Luke smiled, "I ain't got a problem with that."

"Ooh!" Brooke squealed excited, "Have you picked out your costume for the 80's Night? 'Cause I still haven't figured mine out yet. Alexander's doing the whole _Miami Vice_ thing, which I think is an interesting look for him. Hmm, I don't know…what are you wearing?"

"I actually haven't thought about it." he shrugged. Clothes and costumes weren't exactly his thing.

"Guess your date for the night will pick it out for you."

Luke smirked, "Ah, you're gonna buy me at the auction?"

"Uh-uh." The brunette shook her head, "I'm selling you. But don't worry," she assured him with a wink, "I'll save you a dance."

Jumping out of bed and picking up Luke's boxers and shirt from off the floor, Brooke grinned, "I'm starved. Let's go raid the fridge."

The brooder just stared at her with the goofiest smile on his face as she quickly put on his cotton Calvin Klein boxers and buttoned up his favorite blue shirt. Only one thought running through his head. Nothing would ever be as hot as Brooke Davis in his clothes.

"Um…uh, no one's gone to the market in a week." He stuttered, "Fridge will be empty. We can go out, though."

Pouting and shaking her head like a little kid, Brooke said, "_Nooo_! I don't wanna get dressed yet. Um…" Her face lit up when an idea hit her. "It's Wednesday, Jake's at my place. Let's raid the fridge in his room. I know Haley and Alexander keep it stocked. And you know they buy _pie_."

"Sure, but, uh, you took my clothes."

A mischievous twinkle in her eyes and a devilish smile upon her lips, she quirked an eyebrow daringly, "So? I don't mind seeing all your best attributes."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke, Haley & Rachel's Apartment**

Jake and Haley loved Wednesday 'cause it was the one day a week that neither had class. It also happened to be the day that Brooke and Rachel had classes back to back. From the blissful hours between eleven and four (usually longer if Brooke and Rachel decided to clown around with the guys) they had the apartment all to themselves.

Jake's frisky laugher echoed throughout Haley's room. He rolled himself on top and continued planting a trail of kisses down her neck. "I gotta tell ya," he whispered, "I've missed ya lately. It seems like we always have something or other going on."

"Oh, it has been _forever_ since we've had some actual just-you-and-me alone time. No cheery and cocky brunettes or slutty redheads or broody blondes running around." Haley seductively ran her hands from his lower back up to his shoulders and then she raked her fingers through his light brown hair.

A low moan passed through Jake's lips as his hands expertly worked at unbuckling Haley's lacey belt. Officially speaking, he and Hales had been dating for four years, but he'd known her since long before that.

He could map out her entire body with his eyes closed. Her every curve, every speckle, he knew it all by heart, from her head to her toes. And as much as he hated quoting John Mayer, her body was his fucking Wonderland.

Haley didn't fell behind. Jake had always been her boy-next-door and oddly enough, she knew his body better than her own. Where to touch him, which spot to nibble on to elicit one of his husky and sensual moans.

When he finally got his hands around her back and began to unclasp her bra, the bedroom door burst open. Rachel just stared at them on the bed, Jake hovering on top of Haley, both of them half naked. "Oh…am I interrupting sex?"

Releasing a distressed groan, Jake grumbled, "Not anymore." He glared, rolling off of Haley. "What are you doing here? Don't you have class?"

"Cancelled." She explained with a happy grin.

"What's up, Rachel?" asked Haley with an oddly resigned tone. Two roommates equaled zero alone time. The honey-blonde had grown accustomed to it. Jake, however, still found it thoroughly annoying.

The redhead cleared her throat, "Right," she tossed her the apartment phone, "Call from Nate. Apparently an emergency." She shrugged, "Don't kill the messenger, Jay."

"_Right_." Grunted Jake, the chagrin in his tone more than evident.

She simply raised her hands apologetically, "I'll leave you two alone now."

"What's up, Nate?" asked Haley, "I'm kinda busy right now… No, Nate, I will not do that… Well, because I'm your _tutor_. That means I tutor you, not I do your homework for you… Yes, I know that's a hard class. You know what would help? Declare a major and stop taking classes because the name sounds cool!"

Haley's phone started vibrating and Jake picked it up. "Hello… Yeah, she's right here… No, she's on the phone… All right, all right, hold on." He settled down next to her in bed and handed her the cell phone. "Brooke. Urgent."

"Haley 1-1, what's your emergency?" she inquired with a mock-cheery tone, tossing Jake the other phone. "No, I haven't picked my costume out yet… Because I've had other stuff to do… Yes, we did refill Jake's fridge this week… This is totally irrelevant, I've gotta go. We can talk about it when you get home. Bye."

She slammed the phone shut and turned to Jake who still had Nate on the line. "Oh, crap!" she muttered, "Yeah, me again… Okay, I can help you with that. Piece of cake, I already took that class. But I'll call you later. I'm busy… What do you care what I'm busy with? …Fine, Nosey! I'm busy getting _busy_. I'll call you when we're done."

Jake had now gotten on top of her once more, "Which will be in a few hours! Do _not_ call again, Scott." he yelled into the phone before pressing the END button and throwing it on the desk.

He'd now gotten rid of both their jeans. Haley moaned loudly, when he palmed her breasts and nibbled on her earlobe. Haley squealed, "We need to get new friends!" She said, giggling when he did that thing that always sent shivers throughout her body.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Immediately after emptying out Jake and Alexander's fridge –taking the apple, cherry and peach pie –Brooke and Luke huddled up on his futon couch finishing off one a pie right outta the plate.

_Mm_! Brooke moaned as she swallowed another spoonful of cherry pie. "Told ya!" she extended a piece of pie to Luke and he happily ate it, teasingly sucking on her finger before pulling away. "This is sooo _good_."

The blonde inched closer to her, "Maybe," he slid his shirt off her shoulder and kissed it before gently sucking on it, "But you always taste better."

Brooke giggled and pulled him off, running her hands through his Mohawk as she pulled him into a quick kiss. "This is fun. I've been having fun with you."

"And that surprises you?"

"To be honest, yeah. A little." She laughed, "I just thought…we'd try going public and that we'd end because it would be weird and when it wasn't just sex, the allure would be gone. I thought you'd leave." Leave. The idea sounded utterly ridiculous to him. That brunette was his drug, leaving her wasn't even in his realm of possibilities. It just wasn't an option. Not for him.

"But it's actually been…nice." continued Brooke, "Turns out you're not an annoying asshole –well, not entirely at least."

Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her forehead. "I'll take that as a compliment, then."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Sigma Chi House**

The den was packed with guys. The scent of smoke and beer permeated the room as low-pitched _oohs_ and _ahs_ came ceremoniously from the Pledges gathered around the felt green poker table in the center of the room. It sometimes appeared that the Sig guys never did anything but screw around, party and get wasted.

Oh! And on Thursdays, they did Poker Night.

When Brooke entered the room she wasn't greeted by the usual whoops and catcalls, this time around the guys simply carried on the game. The players continued mumbling something or other as they tossed their chips to the center of the table. She sat in the empty chair between Dean and Riggy and sighed. "What, no hello or nothing?"

"Well, we found out you're a Delt Girl now, Muffin." Commented Dean, "You've replaced us with the biggest douche-bags on Greek Row. That's just…_wrong_."

Tim Riggins snickered, shaking his scraggly bangs off his eyes, "Yeah. Heard you're auctioning 'em off and everything. Way to sell out, B."

Before the indignant brunette could defend herself, the burly Blue Devil Quarterback stepped up. "Kill that talk, ass-hats." He ordered, sending a scowl at Dean and slapping Tim upside the head. "Ya'll know Brookie's our girl. And she just so happens to be with a Delt so she was just having her man's back. That don't mean she doesn't have ours, too." He said, putting a defensive hand around her shoulder. "And ya'll know better than to mess with this kid. She's like my baby sis and I will hurt somebody over her. Everyone cool?"

A chorus of mumbled '_yeah_', '_sorry_' and '_our bad_' was the immediate response. "Cool. Now I believe you douches owe the lady a proper greeting."

The catcalls and the immediate chorus of 'hey, Cookie' broke out as Tim handed her a beer and Dean reluctantly dealed her in.

Three hours later she'd wiped them all clean. "Read 'em and weep. Pocket Aces, Winchester." Brooke demanded as she showed her cards, smiling a self-satisfied smile. Piz, Riggs and Tony had accepted their loss and folded, but Dean was way too stubborn for that. "Pay up, _bee-otch_!"

The men brought out their practically empty wallets and handed over their contents, which the brunette rolled up and tossed into her purse. "All right, Muffin. You won this one." Smirked Dean, "But don't gloat too much. There's always next week."

Smirking right back at him, Brooke cocked an eyebrow, "Bet your ass –which is pretty much all you've got left 'cause I just cleaned you out –that I'll be here next week. I may not screw anyone in this house, but make no mistake I'm just as much a part of this as you are."

"You're hot when you're angry."

"Can it, perv!" Ordered the brunette, "Owen would kill you."

Speaking of the burly male, Brooke bumped into him as she left the house. "Guys treat you okay, Brookie? 'Cause you know how I do when they mess with the kid. Imma hurt somebody."

"No, they did fine. Um, where're Clay and Nate? I didn't see 'em tonight."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Owen chuckled, "Ah, the Dynamic Duo whose mission in life seems to be to make my life more complicated. Riggy said they're out golfing."

"So they're officially good again? No more fighting?"

"I believe that Mary-Kate and Ashley are back to being BFFs." He said, "Relax, B, those two couldn't stay mad at each other even if they tried."

Releasing a nervous giggle, Brooke smiled. "Yeah. Right." She wasn't so sure that would always be the case.

-xx-

**Friday  
Al's Backyard**

The small pub was filled to capacity. It seemed that the entire female population of Duke was there to buy themselves a Greek God for tonight's Halloween Party. Girls pulled out twenties and waved them in the air as if they were at a strip club instead of at an auction. Haley, Rachel and Peyton were right in the front row ready to buy themselves a man.

Brooke took the stage, microphone in hand, and whistled loudly calling everyone to order. "All right, welcome to The Greek Gods Auction! Nice to see everyone's here supporting the Phi Delta Thetas. Remember, ladies, the proceeds of this auction go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Let the bidding begin!"

The guys all marched out one by one in their bathing suits with fake golden wreaths on their heads. While the Sigs where the most prominent house based on sports and parties, the Phi Delts were the top fraternity based on academics and networking. They were ranked the number one house on Duke's Greek Row and every sorority wanted to mix with them.

An hour later, almost every guy had been sold. Haley had bought Luke, and Rachel had bought Jake. And, much to Brooke's surprise, a black-haired girl had dropped two hundred and fifty bucks for Logan Echolls.

"All right, ladies, that's it. We're out of men. The grand total of today's event is," Brooke paused to open up the tiny envelope, "Five grand! Whoo! Now, remember, Al's hopes to see you all back here later for 80's Night, and all of those who managed to score a guy, don't forget to dress 'em up special for tonight."

After a final round of applause, the guys took a bow and Brooke got off the stage.

"Hey!" she greeted, approaching her roommates, "What's with you two buying guys here? I thought you both had men. And Hales, why did you wanna buy Luke?"

The pair exchanged looks and grinned, "We made a very special deal." Explained the redhead. "You'll see it later tonight."

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

The small apartment was aflutter with movement. Rachel and Haley had insisted on making Jake and Luke get ready there because they wanted to 'supervise that they got their costumes right'.

Brooke had been the first one to get ready for a change and was waiting to hear from some of the Sig Boys since they were supposed to be her ride. Complaining grunts came from Haley's bedroom where her roommates had locked themselves in with the guys.

Impatiently drumming her perfectly manicured fingernails on the kitchen counter, the brunette yelled, "Come out already! I'm getting bored waiting…"

Much to Brooke's surprise, Luke and Jake reluctantly walked out wearing jeans and sweaters and…bras on their head. A hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth in an attempt to hold back her laughter. "Oh, my god!" she chuckled and stood in front of Luke, "That's a really good look for you, Broody. _Weird Science_ is one my favorite 80's movies. And you're way cutter than Anthony Michael Hall ever was. Wait, is that –" She examined his head closer and furrowed her brow, "Is that my bra?"

"Well, I couldn't give him one of mine!" explained Haley, "That'd have been really weird."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Right." he scoffed, "'Cause _that's_ what's weird about us having bras on our heads."

Rachel sniggered at the comment, "Don't worry though, the one on Jake's head _is_ Haley's. And who are you supposed to be?"

Twirling and showing off her outfit, Brooke flashed them her dimpled smile. "I am wearing a kick ass Brooke Davis Original dress. I really couldn't make up my mind about a character or something, but nothing really stuck out at me. And you and Hales cornered everything Molly Ringwald, so… why copy someone else's outfit when I can make my own?"

"Well, it looks amazing, Tigger!" beamed Haley, "I can't believe you made that yourself."

Pulling her tightly against his chest with one arm, Luke smirked, "Yeah, my baby looks smoking hot."

Linking her wrists around Luke's neck in response, Brooke stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Aw, thanks. You kick ass in this look, babe. I'll see ya Al's?"

"You're not coming with?"

Brooke shook her head, "Nah, Owen and a few of the Sigs are swinging by to pick me up."

Biting his tongue and avoiding any comment on the subject, Luke just flashed her a grin and leaned down to give her a final kiss. "I will see you there, Pretty Girl."

-xx-

**Friday  
Al's Backyard**

Classic 80's music blasted from the speakers and flooded Al's with a groovy atmosphere. Everyone had gone all out with their costumes this year in an attempt to win the best dressed prize.

Brooke entered the pub escorted by a small army of guys –she'd dressed up half of the Sigma Chi House. Tim Riggins like Spicoli from _Fast Time At Ridgemont High_, Dean Winchester like Bender from _The Breakfast Club_, Piz as Lloyd Dobbler from _Say Anything_.

Then there was Nate who, at Rachel's suggestion, dressed up as Andy, the Jock from _Breakfast Club_.

The brunette's hazel eyes roamed the room as she briskly searched for Clay. He'd been AWOL for the last few days and she was pretty sure he'd been holed up in a Fuck-athon at the Tri-Delt Sorority House –his default reaction to whenever he ended an ongoing hook-up.

Her theory was confirmed when she finally spotted him over by the bar. It was beyond obvious he was already sloshed and had his arm around one of the Tri-Delts. Plus, he'd decided to fully take on his _Ferris Bueller_ persona when he took over the stage and began to belt out _Danke Schoen_.

Luke walked up behind her and handed her a drink. "Lemon drop, babe." He said as he placed a hand on the small of her back. "Heh, is that Clay? Why is he so wasted already?"

"It's Halloween…" shrugged Brooke, "Clay likes to start the party early."

"Is that Alex Dupree he's singing to?" The blonde scoffed, "Yeah, he really doesn't need to go through all that trouble. Alex will give it up without him putting up a show."

"And you'd know how?" She asked slamming her elbow into the blonde's side.

"_Ouch_!"

"Please." Smirked Nate, "Screwing with Alex Dupree is a Greek Row rite of passage –kind of like screwing Theresa is a rite of passage for the basketball team."

The aforementioned female smacked Nate's head harshly, "Standing right behind you, Scott."

Nate just glared. "I know 'Resa. Just like you know you've slept with every guy on the team so lets not bullshit each other." He turned to Brooke, "Looking good tonight, Davis. I'll see ya around."

"Dance?" Asked Brooke. Before Luke could answer, Haley appeared and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Luke. Rae and I registered you and Jake for the costume contest. Move it!"

Brooke groaned, "Ugh! _Fine_. Take him. You owe me a dance, Broody!"

-xx-

Deciding to leave talking to Clay for tomorrow when neither are tipsy, Brooke headed to the bar to order herself something to drink. She nodded hello to Logan who was on the stool next to her.

Logan flashed her a half smirk, "Hey, Davis." He greeted.

Brooke took in his _Risky Business_ costume: white button-down shirt and socks with tighty whities and Wayfarers. "Wow, showing off the package this early before Christmas, Echolls. Nice."

The black haired girl who'd dropped 200 bucks to get him at the auction popped up next to him with her drink and he threw an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, right. Davis, this is my owner, Rebecca Logan. Becks, this is Davis."

"Brooke, actually." Corrected the brunette as she shook hands with the black haired female.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a Chi-O. We tried to get to pledge for us last year."

Logan furrowed his brow, "Yeah, why aren't you in a sorority, Davis? You practically live on Greek Row. And the XOs are the Sigma Chis rightful counterpart. It's kind of a match made in heaven for you."

"Yeah, well…it just wasn't my thing. Besides I'm a sophomore now, kinda late." Shrugged Brooke.

Logan's non-girlfriend girlfriend smirked, "You actually aren't. We take sophomores and I think that for the infamous Brooke Davis we'd be willing to find a loophole in the rules, maybe deferred rush or a snap bid. Whichever applies," She offered, "You could be initiated by the end of the year."

"Um…I'll think about it."

Luke popped up behind her, he'd now removed the bra off his head. "Hey, I finally got rid of the Haley Costume Patrol." He explained, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Ah! Now neither of us is wearing bras." She said seductively. "We are so in sync, Broody."

Logan got off his stool. "And that's our cue to leave, Becks. Have fun and remember, everybody Wang Chung tonight!"

Brooke just raised an eyebrow, "Yeah…try not to do it like a virgin, Echolls."

"Touché, Davis."

Luke chuckled, "Okay. Logan's a tool."

"Logan's _Logan_." Shrugged Brooke.

"I believe I owe the most beautiful girl in the room a dance." The brooding blonde winked at her and extended his hand out. She happily accepted it and he spun her out into the dance floor before once again pulling closer to him.

He loved having her body pressed up against his. And it didn't even have to be about sex. The simple warmth of her skin against his was exhilarating for him and he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, always wanting to just be a little bit closer.

-xx-

**Monday  
Duke Gym**

The sound of basketballs bouncing against the wooden floor filled the gym. The occasional swish of a ball going swiftly through the hoop elicited a few encouraging words from the Coach, but he mostly just flashed the players a disapproving look.

The team was definitely on point, working like a well-oiled machine and ready to kill at the next game. They were still undefeated and planned to remain that way until they took the NCAA Championship.

With a blow of the whistle, the Coach dismissed the practice and sent the team to the showers. Nate, Luke, Jake and Skills stayed back to run over a few plays. With Nate as team Captain, everyone was working twice as hard.

Jake had just commented something to which Luke responded with a: 'ya know how Brooke is'. At hearing this, Nate couldn't help but let out a loud scoff in disbelief.

Passing the ball over to Jake, Luke turned to face his younger brother. "Got a problem, Nate?"

"Not at all, dude." Said Nate with that cocky tone and condescending smirk of his, "I just find it funny the way you said that –as if _you_ actually know Brooke." He chuckled, "Funny."

"Well, she is my girlfriend." Luke explained, inching closer to Nate, a scowl already spreading across his face.

Scoffing once again, Nate too inched closer to Luke, not willing to back down. "Yeah, well, you say that like it's something so meaningful. Like you two aren't just a cheap hook-up turned into a somewhat relationship." The raven-haired male shook his head, "You don't know Brooke. _I _know Brooke. I've been her friend for two years, I've carried her home when she's gotten beyond sloshed, I've given her my room when she didn't have a place to crash –_I've_ been there. And I know her as much as she'll let anyone know her 'cause only two people who've had a full-access pass to Brooke's life are Clay and Rachel. What do you know, man? Do you know if she's got brothers or sisters, do you know what her favorite movie is, do you know _anything_? Or are you just the guy lucky enough to be sleeping with her? ...You _don't_ know her."

Fists balled, knuckles whitened, Luke headed towards Nate feeling more than ready to punch him into his place when Jake stepped in and pushed him back. "Calm down, Luke. Just back off." He reasoned, putting his hands of the blonde's chest in an attempt to restrain him. "Calm the fuck down! Count to five and cool off. You don't want to do this, man."

Nate jutted his chin out towards him daringly, wanting to see just what his big brother had and feeling utterly confident that he could take him when push came to shove. Skills stepped in front of him and smacked him upside the head. "Why you gotta pop that noise, dawg? Come on, quit talking all that smack, man. It ain't right."

"I'm just telling like it is, Skills. You know that." said Nate, palms raised in an attempt to declare peace, but the condescending smirk still in place continued taunting the eldest Scott.

"Yeah, ya wanna know what else I know? Ya need to walk away…_C'ptain_. Now." Skills hissed, "Jay and I, we got this."

Chuckling once more, the raven-haired Scott exited the gym. Getting back into it with Luke definitely wasn't good and he hadn't been planning on it. But then again, Nate Scott had a considerably short fuse, too… Just like his brother.


	12. Trust & Other Impossible Pursuits

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Don't have that much to say…hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner. And I'm seriously hoping you'll like this one. Major thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter –ya'll are fucking awesome. And just…tell me whatcha think, dudes!**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Trust & Other Seemingly Impossible Pursuits_

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Haley sat Indian style on the large armchair in the living room. Multiple textbooks spread out in front of her, glasses slipped down on the bridge of her nose, hair tied up in a messy bun with a few loose strands falling on her face, she chewed on the tip of her BIC pen intently pausing every few beats to jot something down.

Over on the kitchen, standing on opposites sides of the island, Brooke and Rachel indulged in a silent game of Coke Pong –even _they_ had a no-drinks-before-one-o'clock policy. Besides, what better way to kill a class-free Monday?

Around three or four times per semester, Haley had some big project or assignment due which required complete silent study hours in the apartment. Brooke always found it particularly boring, but now that Rachel had moved in she saw it as a challenge to find new and improved ways to fool around in the apartment.

_Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! _

The abnormal silence was cut when two phones buzzed rather loudly. Automatically hitting the silence button, the pair flipped them open and read their new message.

_**From: clay-bear**_

_movies in 10. pick u up in 5?_

_**From: moody**_

_red, movies in 10.  
i'll watch a chick flick if u spring 4 popcorn. _

Stealing one of Haley's spiral notebooks and pen, Rachel jotted down a question.

_Movies, in or out?_

Brooke smiled and wrote down her response.

_In. C's picking us up. Let's go_.

Before they could reach the door, Jake walked in fresh from basketball practice. He wore worn out cargo shorts and an old t-shirt, his brown locks of hair still damp from the shower and gym bag slung casually over his shoulder.

"Hi, Jay! Bye, Jay!" greeted the brunette and redhead in a peculiar angelical chorus before rushing right past him and out the door.

Furrowing his brow, Jake just chalked it up to another one of their wacky plans or outings. "O…kay. That was weird." He leaned down to give Haley a quick peck, "Hey, babe, how's your day goin'?"

"Can't chit-chat. Studying." replied the honey-blonde, never looking away from her pile of papers. "Remember that stupid monograph that was due _after_ Thanksgiving break? Well, it's moved up. And I am so behind it's not even funny. Thank god Dumb & Dumber coerced the Beer-Pong Twins to head out for a couple of hours."

Jake picked up one of the plastic cups and took a sip. "It's Coke." He stifled back a chuckle. Study-time Haley was always snarkier that regular Haley. It was hot. The bun and glasses didn't hurt, either. He always thought she totally rocked the sexy librarian look. "Dumb & Dumber supposed to be Clay and Nate?" She responded with a swift nod. "Well, speaking of, take a five minute break 'cause I got some serious gossip. You're not gonna believe what went down after practice."

Knowing full well that Jake was never one to gossip, Haley figured that it must've been something pretty big. Besides, if anyone warranted a study break, it was her boyfriend.

"Okay." She breathed, and leaned forward to give him a proper hello kiss. "If that's not good cause for a break, then I don't know what is."

"Well…" Jake started, "Coach K had just ended practice, but Nate's been riding us –you know, he wants us to lead the team. So me, him, Luke and Skills stayed behind running over a few new plays. One thing led to another and before you know it, Luke was ready to pounce on Nate –"

"Let me guess, Brooke is the reason for the fight?" She questioned, resisting the urge to sigh. She loved her brunette best friend, but the girl seemed to stir up way too many fights as of late. Kind of ironic seeing as Brooke was always very pro the peace & love approach to life.

Jake nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. It was about to turn into a who-knows-her-better death match. Skills and I managed to calm Luke down, and Nate walked away from the fight, but still."

"Tigger's not gonna be happy. She does not like it when they fight." Stated Haley matter-of-factly. "And, what do you mean by who-knows-her-better?"

"Something set Nate off, and he started on about how he knows Brooke, and Luke doesn't…but I mean, it's not like B's such a fricking open book." He shrugged, "I swear, those two are more trouble than they're worth."

"Which two?" Haley scoffed, "Brooke and Luke, Brooke and Nate, or Nate and Luke?"

Jake scrunched up his nose as if he were deep in thought. "You know what? All three pairs. Too much drama between them. And toss Rachel right in there. Wasn't Nate sleeping with her?"

"Oh, still is." Clarified Haley, "But I think Nate's not really over Brooke, and Rae was just trying to sleep with him 'cause things with Clay ended up in nothing –oh, and do not even get me started on Clay."

"Wait, what'd Clay do?"

Shit. Shit, shit, _shit_! Between her latest papers and tests, cheer practice, and the usual hassles that came from rooming with Brooke and Rachel, she'd completely pushed out of her head the fact that no one else knew about Clay's secret hook-up.

"Um…nothing." She immediately backtracked, clearing her throat in attempt to get some more certainty in her tone, "He was just being his usual annoying self." Jake gave her an inquiring look, as if he could tell that, that was complete bull. Which he could, he'd know her for over ten years. "Wow, uh…probably not the best thing that Brooke just left with Nate, then?"

Jake only offered her an _I-guess-so_ nod.

Placing her glasses back on and picking up her papers, "I should probably get back to this. I'm sure Luke's gonna call any second now to have a talk and I really want to get a little bit more work done…"

"And now that the Beer-Pong Twins are gone, I'm a distraction. Say no more, hon." He leaned forward and kissed her, taking his time to fully savor her naturally sweet tasting lips. "But we're on for this weekend, right?"

"You kidding me, a weekend away just you, me and bed? I've already packed my bag." Tugging the hem of his jersey, she pulled him down for a final kiss goodbye and with that he was gone.

-xx-

**Monday  
Starplex Cinema**

Clay stood with Brooke at the concession stand as she paid for four buckets of pop-corn, four large Cokes, five bags of Twizzlers, Raisinets, and some sort of sour-chewing candy that she and Rachel apparently loved.

"Jeez, Dimples, we're watching a two hour movie, not stocking up on candy supplies to last till Christmas." Clay commented when Brooke passed him the cardboard box with all the snacks. "Now move it. _Clash of the Titans_ is about to start. It's gonna be 3D _epic_, dude!"

Rachel popped up behind him with Nate; they'd just bought the tickets. "Yeah, no way, dude. We're watching _The Back-Up Plan_."

"Ah! No frigging way! That is a total chick-flick, Freckles." Protested Clay. "And I did not sign up for that."

"Tough shit, Nate said we could pick the movie if we sprung for pop-corn, which B just did." Rachel smoothly slid his ticket into his leather jacket's pocket. "Movie's about to start. Move it, Rowdy."

Brooke and Nate exchanged looks. _Rowdy…?_ She mouthed to him. Nate shrugged, and mouthed _I don't know_ before handing her a ticket.

Their mouths slightly agape, they watched as Rachel pulled Clay inside and jumped in a failed attempt to put the much taller male into a playful headlock before giving him a noogie. Clay just lifted her off the floor and tickled her sides, causing her to let out a loud shriek.

"Okay…catch me up, Natie." Brooke raised a dark eyebrow quizzically, "What was that? Isn't Rae supposed to be hooking up with you?"

The raven-haired Scott chuckled, an impish spark in his ocean-blue eyes, "Catch up, B. Don't tell me you haven't noticed Red's still got a thing for Clay."

"Oh, no way! C'mon, I'd know if she was still into him." She rationalized.

"Well, it's not like she's been pinning or anything. We've been having fun, but when we first hooked-up after the Intramurals it was partly 'cause she was pissed at him. Y'know, over the whole Peyton-Clay thing."

Hazel-green pupils dilated slightly at the mention of Clay and Peyton in the same sentence. Not enough for Nate to notice, though. Calmly clearing her throat, Brooke flashed him an easy smile, "What Clay-Peyton thing?"

"The day Luke and I got into that fight," Nate rubbed the back of his head remembering that just a few hours ago he almost found himself in a repeat of that. "Um…Peyt was there, and I guess she got pissed –God knows why, though. My baby sis gets a little too PMS sometimes… Anyway, she totally jumped Clay right in front of us. That's why I got mad at him and moved in with you. Seems kinda silly now."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she questioned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know my little sister's no virgin." He frowned, his nose scrunched up in distaste at actually saying the words out loud. "Point is, it was just a kiss and she's done way more with way worse dudes than Clay. I kinda overreacted over something he didn't even initiate."

"That mean you'd be cool with him dating her? The best friend and the little sister –it at least sounds nice." In theory, at least. In practice, her best friend dating her boyfriend's bitchy sister who hated her wasn't really her idea of a good time.

"Oh, hell no! Kill that talk." Nate's tone turning slightly serious, "All right, you know this system's put in place to keep order around here. Baby sisters are off limits. It is how it is."

Releasing a sigh, Brooke just offered him a half smile, "I know that's true… Um, still, can you back it up and explain to me _why_ you're sleeping with Rachel, then? If she's into your best friend."

"Look, Red's hot. We're friends. I like her. And she likes me. We have a good time together. She's kinda my best friend lately." He stated matter-of-factly, "I've seen marriages built on less than that. What's the problem?"

Scrunching up her nose, unaware about why their arrangement struck her as odd and why it kinda of bothered her that two of her friends had that whole dynamic going on. "No problem, I guess." Maybe all that time with Haley had finally given her a moral compass of sorts. And right now it was pointing to trouble ahead.

Clay appeared from and waved them over, "Get your asses in here. Freckles got us seats, and the movie's just about to start."

The pair silently followed him inside and grabbed their seats just as the opening credits began to roll.

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Just as Haley had predicted, Luke arrived at the apartment about half an hour after Jake left. He'd let himself in with the emergency key. Apparently everybody knew that Brooke tapped it to the top of the doorframe.

Upon noticing how Haley had flooded the living room with all of her textbooks and study supplies. She even had that weird (and kinda crazy) intense gaze she got when she was really concentrating. "Oh…" he muttered as he looked around, "I'm interrupting study-time, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but I've actually been waiting for you." She closed the notebook on her lap, and gaped at him in a reprimanding manner. "Nice to see you made it out of the fight in one piece, Rocky."

Releasing a groan, Luke rolled his eyes, "Jake's so fucking pussy whipped. He's a damn tattletale."

The honey-blonde flung one of the couch cushions at Luke's head. "Hey!" she scolded, "Do not talk smack about my boyfriend! And he was right to tell me, y'know Brooke's gonna blow a gasket when she finds out."

"I know!" He groaned, running an anxious hand through his golden locks of hair, "But you know what? Nate was just trying to provoke me. It was like the douche_ wanted _to fight –"

"Yah, nice to see that didn't work."

His navy-blue eyes met hers and they stared each other down as if speaking some sort of wordless code. Fifteen years of friendship came with such benefits. "You know what really pisses me off? The asshat was right. I don't know any of that stuff. Brooke doesn't tell me anything."

"Well, that's just how she is. Tigger's not an open book, she doesn't really let anyone know her." Said Haley with her patented empathetic tone.

"Right." He scoffed in response, "What's Brooke's middle name?"

"Penelope."

"She got brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah."

"What's her favorite movie?"

"Everything John Hughes, Cameron Crowe and Quentin Tarantino. Plus the all-time classic, _Casablanca_."

Haley's answers flowed out of her mouth automatically –she didn't even have to pause to think about it. That didn't really make Luke feel any better. "Thank god she's not an open book, then. You might've had to pause for a full second before answering those."

"Okay, so I know some stuff. But it's not like I know because she told me over a huge heart-to-heart." Started Haley, "I know her middle name because all her Duke mail comes addressed to Brooke Penelope Davis. I know she's not an only child 'cause she gets birthday cards. I know her favorite movies 'cause whenever she got sloshed last year she woke me up at 4am to have a movie marathon. Nate knows her because they've been doing everything but sleep together for two years now. You're finding out now 'cause you're just starting to do something apart from sleeping together. She needs time. It's just how she operates."

Luke held back an exasperated sigh. "So it's a waiting game. I just gotta wait it out until she decides she _trusts me _enough?"

"Yup. Pretty much." She sighed, "Look, Brooke's…well, damaged seems a little strong, but she's definitely a little broken. A few days ago she gave me this whole thing about not believing in love or relationships. And I think that that's just how she's wired. Your girl's got a lot of baggage. And you need to be patient. If you push her to open up, you're pushing her away."

Letting out a dry laugh, Luke shook his head, "Patience is a virtue and all that…"

"Exactly." Haley nodded firmly, "Oh, and if I were you, I'd stop swinging at Nate. No matter what, he's one of her best friends and she is not gonna cut him out. And I'm pretty sure she'd rather you fight _for_ her and not _over_ her."

He dumbly scratched the back of his head and frowned, "What's that even mean?"

"It's a girl thing. You'll figure it out soon enough, Romeo."

Looking at his hands nervously, Luke asked, "You gonna tell Brooke about the fight?"

"I've got to! She's my best friend." Stated Haley matter-of-factly. "And you know how she is, she'd find out anyway and then she'd get mad that we didn't tell her. Though I gotta say, I think it'd be best if she heard it from _you_."

"I guess so…"

Chuckling, Luke pulled Haley into his lap and tickled her secret tickle spot –the grooves between the ribs on her back –until she shrieked begging him to stop. He finally stopped and gave her a bear hug, which she wiggled out of by smacking the side of his head. "Thanks for the advice, Hales." Luke said, rubbing the spot where she'd hit him.

"Anytime," she smiled at him warmly, "Besides, it's about time you found yourself a good girlfriend –and it is Brooke we're talking about, so I use the term 'good' loosely. But, seriously, she's good for you. And I think you're kind of good for her, too."

Luke placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, "I love ya, Hales." Haley James was the one girl Luke had always been warmhearted with. He'd grown up with her and he was as protective of her as he was of his little sister. Hell, Haley practically _was_ his baby sister.

"Love ya, too, Luke." Haley ruffled up his hair and gave him a wink. "Now get your ass outta here. I gotta _study_!"

Placing a hand on his chest as if he were deeply offended, Luke gave her his sad eyes, the navy-blue irises suddenly full of dolefulness. "Jeez, sometimes you make me feel so cheapened!"

And dodging one final cushion that Haley had thrown at his head, he was gone. Maybe he'd catch up with Brooke, since tomorrow she'd be all caught up in cheer practice.

-xx-

**Monday  
Starplex Cinema**

Clay groaned as if he were in profound agony. "Okay, watching that thing was actually painful for me. Seriously, that cheesy crap is so completely bogus!"

"Quit pouting!" instructed Rachel, "So not a good look for you."

Brooke stepped in between the pair and threw her arms over their shoulders, "Okay, play nice you two." She ordered them with a serious tone, "Now, I am starved! Let's go get some grub."

"Hear, hear!" echoed Rachel.

"How can you be starved!" questioned Nate, "You each just ate a bucket of pop-corn, plus half of mine and Clay's. Not to mention the fifteen pounds of sugar B bought at the concession stand."

Clay chuckled amused, "Don't you know by know those two eat for six. It's a miracle of nature that they're not 500 pounds… _Yet_."

"Oh, shove it, Clay!" Brooke laughed, "Anyways, lets go. I'm feeling Mickie D's tonight."

"Come on! I'm supposed to be cutting back on all the junk food. Bulking up for the team. Coach gave us this whole spiel about how you are what you eat and all that crap."

Brooke smirked, "Then we're cheap, fast and easy." Nate and Rachel high-fived her and she offered Clay a shrug. "Majority rules. Sorry, C."

"McDonald's it is, then." Clay said, letting a sigh of defeat.

-xx-

**Monday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Even though she enjoyed the day with Nate, Clay and Rachel –feeling slightly thrown back to when it was just her and the guys –Brooke opted for grabbing two Big Macs to go and headed over to grab dinner with Luke. She'd known he was in practice all morning and he was probably all worn out so, for tonight, she was willing to stay in with him.

Brooke walked into the house with a little more confidence than the last few times. Feeling much more at ease being there now. It was still no Sigma Chi, but the guys had gotten more used to having her sleep and eat breakfast over there a few days a week.

Walking into Luke's bedroom as if it were hers, she settled down comfortably on the bed and threw him a paper bag. "Hey, Broody!" she greeted, "I got you a burger. Bad news is I ate your fries on the way and, no, you can't have any of mine."

Luke grinned widely and pulled her in for a kiss. "That's alright, baby. I don't want your fries." He pulled her in and she sat in between his legs, resting her back against his chest as she began to pull the food out. "Hey, listen, there's something I wanted to tell you."

"Well, that sounds good." She said sarcastically, "What's up?"

"Okay, so, it's like this," Luke licked his lips anxiously, "Nate was giving me grief after practice today and it just…it turned into a thing, but Jay and Skills stopped it before it got out hand. Uh, no punches were thrown or anything. And I…um, I lost my temper and I shouldn't have."

Brooke moved out of his lap and gave him an upset look, "Luke, seriously? Come on!" She groaned, "I thought you were past all that crap. What the hell happened?"

He pondered whether to tell her about what Nate had said. "Nate was just running off his mouth. And I let him get to me."

"But…I mean, I just spent the whole day with him. Why didn't he say anything?" she asked more to herself than to him, "That's the kind of stuff he usually tells me."

Luke scoffed, "You just spent the whole day with him? With Nate?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed, "And Rachel and Clay. Just a couple of friends hanging out. Don't make a thing out of it."

"No, no. You're right. You're absolutely right. Just friends hanging out, having a good time." he stated sardonically, "Sounds kinda like a double-date actually. What I'm wondering is, who was with who. 'Cause I'm pretty sure you and Nate just hung back and let Rachel and Clay do their thing. Heh, I'm betting the douche _loved_ that." Shaking his head, he scoffed, "Why are you even with me, Brooke?"

"C'mon, Luke, let's just not, okay."

"No. Really. Why are you with me? Because I cannot figure it out. It doesn't make any sense. All we do is fight. I don't know you. Your friends hate me." Luke said with a weirdly unemotional tone, "_Nate_ knows you. He gets you…your friends love him. And, you know what, he wants you. So, again, why are you with me?"

"Are we seriously doing this right now?"

"_STOP_!" Luke yelled, frustration and anger finally taking control. "Just stop! Stop dodging the question. Stop giving me the run-around and just tell me. Why?"

Dainty hands clutched Luke's chest even as he tried to pull away from her, knowing full well that if she touched him he would just give into her without putting up any kind of fight. "Hey, hey, hey, c'mere," She said in the most soothing tone she could muster. Her hands holding onto his face demanding that he look at her, "What's this about? Luke, I… You're right. Nate is a much better fit for me. My friends like him and we know each other and, you know, that's probably never gonna stop. But I don't want Nate, I want _you_. I like _you_… Because he doesn't make me crazy like you do and he doesn't fight with me, and, as much as I care about him, he's just not you. And something always seems to pull me back to you." Clearing her throat, she smiled, "Now cut all that crap because I thought we were finally past it and I do _not_ want to go back to that."

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Luke stroked her cheek and his lips curled up into a smile. Brooke usually had that effect on him. "You drive me fuckin' crazy, you know that?" he whispered.

"I actually think you drive yourself crazy." She whispered back to him. "Now come on, lets eat!" she leaned forward and pecked his lips, "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Ugh," He groaned, "That's never good."

The brunette slapped his chest and grinned, "Shut up!" she chuckled, "Do you know Rebecca Logan?"

"Yeah…" Luke nodded, "She's, uh, Logan's...whatever, right?"

"Right. Well, she's in a sorority –the XOs –and she wanted me to pledge. Told me that I could be initiated by the end of the year." Brooke shrugged, "I don't know…"

Luke took another bite out of his burger and studied her face for a second, "Well, do you _want_ to be in a sorority? I thought you didn't pledge freshman year 'cause it was too much politics. Too much work, which, at least in fraternities, it is."

"Well, I didn't. I _don't_." She immediately amended, "It's just…I don't know, it might be fun." She chewed on her lower lip in that pensive way that Luke always found intensely hot. "Now that Rae's here it's something we can do together. And we'd get to be a part of things officially –Greek Week and all that stuff. What do you think?"

"I think you'd kick ass at it, if that's what you want." The brooding blonde ran his navy-blue eyes along her body and licked his lips, "I also think you look unbelievably hot tonight." He said, leaning back into his pillows. "Fuck, you _always_ look hot."

Brooke arched an eyebrow, "That right?" she asked, moving up to sit on top of him. "Ya don't look so bad yourself, Broody." Her raspy voice sounding even sexier than usual by the proximity of her perfect mouth to his tanned skin.

"I…" Luke sat up and just paused, his mouth slightly open. Brooke leaned forward and kissed him. It was hard and fast-paced. She pulled away, her hands resting lightly on Luke's strong back. "What?" she questioned, an indescribable glimmer in her hazel-green eyes, which completely entranced Luke.

"Brooke," he said urgently. He planted his lips on hers. She tasted familiar, like _Dentyne Ice _vanilla gum and one of her fruity lip-gloss things.

The brunette pulled back and removed her top, discarding it on the floor and he immediately brought his lips back to hers. His hands roaming through her chocolate locks of hair as he attempted to just take her whole presence in: the smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth, the softness of her curves, the feel of her porcelain skin. He knew full well that no woman was flawless, but to him, Brooke Davis was. She was fucking _perfect_.

If he didn't know any better, he'd swear he was falling in love with her… But he couldn't be. That was impossible, right? Luke Scott was a player and his relationships were always a game. And Brooke Davis didn't believe in love. Fuck, apparently she didn't even believe in relationships.

If that wasn't a match made in…well, he wasn't sure if it was heaven or hell. Truthfully, he didn't care. Touching her felt like heaven and if it wasn't, she was definitely worth any hell.


	13. I'm Not Over You Just Yet

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: This chapter was kinda hard to write…don't know why. MAJOR SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! –Y'all are the best reviewers out there and you always pump me up and keep me motivated. Anyways…here it is. Tell me whatcha think. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_I'm Not Over You Just Yet  
_

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Starbucks**

"Hey, man," Nate greeted the barista with a casual grin, "Lemme get a venti caramel macchiato. Extra whip."

Rachel popped up behind him and slung an arm around his broad shoulders, "And two scones, a venti mocha double latte extra foam, and a venti triple shot white chocolate mocha." She ordered, effectively cutting in the very long morning line. "On him, Jerry." She added, gesturing towards Nate.

Jerry, the barista, flashed Nate a questioning glance. "On me." Nate caved in, releasing a defeated sigh. Grabbing the coffees and the scones, he led her to an empty table. Usually at that time everyone did a hit-and-run, taking their coffees to go, which left the worn out comfy couches that the pair loved to kill time on free. "So, why did I just buy enough coffee for you to OD on?"

Rachel smiled widely, holding up a bag and pulled out one of the scones. "The latte and the other scone are for Brooke. She's getting dressed or something over at the Delt house."

"What? You two goin' out to get wasted this early in the morning?"

"No, stupid, we got this econ class that the professor moved up to nine." She explained, shaking her head slightly, "I fucking hate early morning classes. Back at Brown my classes started at noon."

Nate let out a cocky scoff, "Well, back at Brown you didn't have Nate Scott to hang out with." When she flashed him a you're-not-that-great look, he added, "Who pays for your coffee and lets you borrow his bike and crash in his room."

"…Good point." she grinned coyly, "Brown's got nothing on Duke, so long as Duke's got Nate Scott."

He lifted his carton coffee cup and winked, as if toasting to her comment. "Onto business, this weekend we are having a massive blowout at the new apartment. And I mean _huge_. You've gotta come."

"Alright, party planner," he started, leaning back into the armchair, "What about Hales? Last time you had a few people over she kinda had a cow."

That devilish smirk that both amused and scared him appeared on the redhead's face. "She and Jay are out for the weekend on some sort of romantic getaway in her empty house back in Treeville–"

"–Tree _Hill_."

"_Whatever_." She waved her hand, brushing off the correction, "You know when Mommy and Daddy are away, the kids will play. You're free this weekend, right?"

His ocean blue eyes scanned the now almost empty coffee shop and stopped on a blonde who'd just walked in. "Peyt!" he beckoned his baby sister over.

"Hey, Nate!" The youngest Scott greeted her big brother with a smile, which quickly vanished at the sight of the redhead sitting with him. "Oh…hi, Rachel." she cleared her throat and turned her gaze back to Nate, "Did you bring it?"

The raven-haired male quickly reached into his knapsack and surrendered the black sketchbook over. Grabbing it and muttering a _thanks_, Peyton was about to make her exit. "Hold it, P." Instructed Nate, "I need ya to call Luke and remind him that he's the one going home with you this weekend."

"But it's your turn,"

"Nah-uh, I went with you twice last month, it's his turn." He glanced at Rachel from the corner of his eye, "I got a party this weekend. Very important that I be there."

"Fine, I'll talk to him." Peyton replied, leaning down to place a goodbye kiss on his cheek, and heading for the door.

Rachel smirked, "See ya at practice tomorrow, Little Scott!"

"What'd I tell you about messing with my baby sis?" Nate asked with a roll of his eyes, "Be _nice_. Now…back to the party, who's on the guest list?"

Rachel shrugged. "Usual. Y'know, Sigma Chi, Brooke's Phi Delt boys, cheer squad."

"You looking to finally seal the deal with Clay?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively, "The dance you two got goin' on is making me dizzy."

The redhead was definitely tempted. And Clay had been back to flirting with her lately (as well as with every other girl on campus with a pulse). But…

"Yeah, but," she sighed, "I mean, if I do, that's not gonna… We'll still… You and me… Y'know? Will you–"

"–still be you number one BFF?" Rachel rolled her eyes at his verbalization of her underlying question, but nodded nonetheless. (It was kind of what he was lately anyway).

Nate just flashed her his best reassuring smirk, but a smirk –even one from Nate Scott –only did so much to put her at ease. "Look, Red, whether you're sleeping with me or sleeping with someone else, I've got your back." He leaned forward and gave her an affectionate peck on the lips. "_Relax_."

Rachel smiled, obviously pleased by his response. He looked into her dark chocolate-brown and smirked once more, "B's coffee's getting cold and _you _are gonna be late. Class starts in fifteen minutes."

"Crap!" she squeals, picking up her messenger bag and the coffees, "See ya, Moody!"

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Engulfed underneath a pile of covers and a huge blue quilt, Brooke and Luke were in a deep slumber. Her head resting comfortably on his naked, tanned chest. His face buried in her cascading chocolate locks of hair, taking in her vanilla scented shampoo.

Luke moved his arm down and it landed delicately on the brunette's naked shoulder. Suddenly, his stupid alarm clock started blaring some old rock song he knew but couldn't quite remember the words to. He jumped up startled, not even remembering setting the alarm. Brooke simply stuck her head beneath four pillows in an attempt to drown out the unwanted noise.

"Cheery," he mumbled, shaking her slowly. "Did you set the alarm?"

Not even a grunt as a response.

Slowly getting out of bed, and sliding into a pair of blue cotton boxers with little basketballs on them, he pulled off all the blankets of her almost completely naked body one by one. "Get… Up… Now" he instructed, removing the final pillow off the bed.

"L_uuuuuuke_!" she whined, eyes still shut, as she blindly felt around in search of a pillow or blanket. "C'mon! Don't be a bully, and let me sleep. We can have sex later, 'kay?"

Despite himself, he laughed at the comment. "Well, thank you very much for the offer," he said, wrapping his toned arms around her waist and lifting her up, "But, baby, this is not about sex. I think you have a class?"

Suddenly, Brooke's BlackBerry rang the familiar strains of the opening chorus bars of OneRepublic's _Everybody Loves Me_ –the ringtone Rachel had designated for herself on her best friend's cell phone. Luke reluctantly answered the call. "Hello… Yeah, it's Luke…Um, no, no, she's, uh, she's definitely up… Bathroom. Makeup or something… I'll tell her… Bye, Rae."

"Pretty Girl, that was Rachel. She's got your coffee and she's on her way to the…_econ_ class–"

At hearing this Brooke immediately sat up. "–FUCK!" she jumped out of bed and smacked his chest, "You dumbass, why didn't you wake me up?" It did nothing for her mood when he burst out laughing.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Luke cackled, as he handed her the clothes that were scattered around the floor. At least he was helpful while he was laughing at her.

Ugh! Brooke groaned, "I can't believe I'm going to do a walk of shame to class. _And_ Rae's gonna notice."

"You look beautiful, babe." He slapped her ass playfully, and fell back into bed, "As always."

Brooke flashed him an appreciative dimpled smile, her hazel eyes scanning the floor for her purse. "Oh! Before I forget, party at my place this weekend. It's gonna be _e-pic_!" Throwing a final glance at the clock, she groaned, "Now I'm really late. Um, tell Skills, Sammy, Matt, Duke and Alexander about the party, please –and Logan, if you must."

"Well, gee, why not just invite the entire house, then?"

His sarcasm didn't amuse her. "'Cause most of the guys here a douche bags." She countered. "Ooh! And this is on the DL, 'cause Hales and Jay can_not_ find out."

"You got it."

Once more, the chorus bars of some NOFX song rang out. It was Luke's Sidekick –a text from Peyton.

Brooke moved hastily over to the window, opening it up, and perched herself on the windowsill. Luke walked over to her, "Yeah, y'know you can use the front door now, right?"

"I know," she giggled, "But this is faster for me. I'm…_used_ to it." She grabbed his face and kissed him. The kiss was long a sweet –very much unlike their usual kisses –and she was doing a thing, exploring his mouth with her quick tongue, in way that made him smile and curl his toes. Pulling back, she placed a final peck on his thin lips and brushed her nose against his. "I wish I could stay in bed with you all day." She pouted, before expertly climbing down the trellis.

Luke leaned out the window, watching her go down quickly with ease. Damn, Brooke sure was flexible. His phone buzzing on the night table pulled him away.

_**From:**__**baby sis**_

_N said ur comng home w/me this weeknd._

Oh, hell no! Nate was _not_ just dumping Peyton on him this weekend –it was not his turn. His reply was three capital letters –_WTF_.

_**From:**__**baby sis**_

_u traded w/him last month.  
he's calling it in. _

Fucking hell…he'd completely forgotten about that. And he knew full well that Nate would not let him off the hook, not with the douche moves he'd pulled at practice yesterday.

Releasing a sigh, he composed a new message for Brooke. He couldn't get Nate to change his mind –he had nothing to bargain with. But the idea of having him alone (well, not alone, the party was gonna be full) with his hot-as-sin girlfriend didn't really humor him.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Duke University**

Brooke arrived at class at exactly nine o'clock –she was actually quite talented at taking shortcuts and running back to campus from the Delt house (what with a year of practice under her belt and all). And the professor wasn't there yet.

"Hey, slut!" she greeted, taking a seat behind Rachel. "Mm, coffee!"

"Yes," the redhead replied, "Courtesy of my favorite Scott Brother. And I got you a scone!" she handed Brooke the bag, "'Cause the walk of shame to class doesn't usually leave time for breakfast."

With a roll of hazel eyes, "Shut up! And don't even mention Nate, I'm _so _reaming him as soon as I see him. He got all up in Luke's face yesterday and didn't even bother to tell me about it. I don't know why he's being such an ass lately."

"You didn't say that last night," Rachel almost singsonged.

Before Brooke could answer something back, her phone vibrated in her jeans' pocket and she pulled it out. _New Message_.

_**From: luke**_

_cant make the party.  
taking P home.  
i'll try 2get out of it. _

"That's not a happy look," stated Rachel matter-of-factly. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah…"

_**To: luke**_

_c'mon! 4 real?  
that sucks  
party wont be as fun wthout u _

Brooke's chin rested upon her hand in an angelic manner that only meant trouble, "Say, Rae, you still have that eerie and completely creepy Machiavellian-like ability to come up with ways to make people miserable?"

"You know I do." then, raising an eyebrow in interest, "_Why_?"

"'Cause I gotta feeling tomorrow's practice is gonna be extra hard on Little Scott." Replied Brooke, smirking, "Get her wishing she'd never tried out for the squad in the first place… And, besides, you're so much better at all the emotional torture than I am, anyways."

Rachel scoffed playfully, "I take that as a compliment."

"I know." Both females laughed, "You know, you scare me sometimes." Added Brooke matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, except when you need to use my –what was it? Eerie and creepy and Machiavellian-like evil abilities for your own gain?"

"_Exactly_!" they burst out laughing once more, "Hey. Party mode. I'm heading over to Sig house tomorrow after practice. I need to get a few guys to do the heavy lifting –y'know, buy the booze, get the food, someone to DJ…"

"Basically plan it for you?"

Brooke shrugged, "Hello! –That's what pledges are for,"

"Well, I can't, I got a thing," answered Rachel, "But I'll see ya at home, 'kay."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke walked into the Sigma Chi house, still wearing her sweats and tank top from cheer practice, and headed to the living room. She needed to find Piz (just about the only responsible and dependable pledge the Sigma Chis had) because Rachel and her had decided that he'd be the one to set up for the party.

Instead she found Nate lounging on the couch, tossing one of those little nerf basketballs in the air. "Just who I wasn't looking for, but needed to talk to!" the brunette greeted, tossing his feet off the couch to sit down next to him.

"What the hell's wrong with you? Luke was really mad about whatever it was you said to him at practice. _And_ we spent that whole day together and you didn't tell me anything about it –you _always_ tell me when you do something stupid!"

Nate sighed, sitting up slightly, "It was nothing, B."

"Don't give me that," she rolled her eyes, "It was something; you two were doing kinda okay. Why'd you mess it up?"

"'Cause he was pissing me off and I lost it a little. Y'know how I get sometimes…"

Brooke sighed, eyeing him carefully, "But why? I mean, he said you just lashed out at him–"

"–because he was saying stuff about you!" Nate yelled, standing up.

"Like…_bad stuff_?" she shook her head, "Luke wouldn't, he…"

Nate scoffed, annoyed, "No. Not bad stuff. Just…it bugged me and I let it get to me, so I tried to get to him. Mature, I know."

"_Riiight_." She paused to lick her lips, still not seeing what it was that set him off. "I get that, but wh–"

"–because I'm not over you!" Nate yelled in frustration. "And you're with Luke and that's fine, but he _pissed me off._"

Brooke blinked, finding herself at a loss for words –and that was definitely a first. "Why didn't you tell–"

He shook his head, "Don't act like you didn't know."

"Nate, I…"

"It's fine, B. Really. I'm a big boy, I can handle myself." Nate simply shrugged, "And I won't mess with your boyfriend again. Relax."

Brooke looked down at her hands, staring at her nails suddenly seeming so much easier. "Um…'kay. Does this… Are we…"

"It's cool, I'm fine. We're still friends, B. That's never gonna change… You know that."

"Okay." She nodded, still not really able to look into his ocean blue eyes. "Um, well, I'll see you on Saturday then?" Nate nodded, "Cool. Uh, give this to Piz when he comes by. Party stuff."

"Aight." Nate stuffed the list into his jeans' back pocket and laid down on the couch again. Brooke nodded and turned to leave, stopping when Nate spoke again, "And back off my baby sister. Lay off of her already."

"I didn't–"

Nate scoffed, smirk firmly in place, "–please, I heard you practically had her running suicides at today's practice. Not to mention that you put her at the bottom of the pyramid, _under_ Theresa. Peyton's freakishly skinny, she's gonna break something if you keep it up –and that's _hazing_, B."

Brooke cleared her throat, "I'll see what I can do…" She muttered before heading for the door.

"I'll see you at the party, B."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

An odd smell filled the apartment kitchen. Rachel Gatina donned an apron and she was baking. Brooke's brow immediately furrowed at the sight. "What the…?" With the bomb Nate had just dropped, any surprise seemed way too big at the moment.

"I'm baking," the redhead shrugged as she pulled out another tray of cookies from the oven. "Something new I wanted to try."

Brooke picked one off the tray that was already cooled off, "Mm, tastes good." She exclaimed surprised, "Something familiar about them…did you put in cinnamon or something? Oh, I like the extra chocolate chips 'cause you know you can never have too much chocolate."

"They're pot cookies."

Brooke started eating another one, not quite getting what Rachel was saying, "What do ya mean pot cookies? That, like, a family recipe or something."

"No, they're _pot cookies_." She repeated emphatically, "Y'know, like pot brownies, only…cookies. I've been meaning to try it for a while and this dude over at the pizza place sold me some first rate stuff. They're really good, huh?"

"I cannot believe you made pot cookies! –"

"–she said after happily eating four of said cookies." Rachel countered cockily.

Brooke's eyes widened, "Oh my –how much did you put in here? You know how I get when I'm baked! And, shit, stash that somewhere, Haley doesn't leave till tomorrow morning and she is _so_ not gonna be cool with leaving us alone here if she finds out we're gonna be getting high on freaking _cookies_!"

"Jeez, will you relax?" Rachel commented offhand, "S'all good. I'm gonna stash them in my room. I just wanted to try it out and they're _good_ –admit it."

"They're good." Brooke reluctantly admitted, taking another one from the tray, "And you're freaking crazy… Oh, by the way, I need you to clear the apartment tomorrow. I'm planning on shacking up here with Luke all day, since he's not gonna make it to the party, I need to get laid before he leaves."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Fine, you and lover-boy can have the place," she threw the final batch of cookies into a plastic container. "But you'll owe me."

Brooke walked into her room muttering: "Don't I always…"

-xx-

**Thursday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Dainty hands tugged hastily at the cotton material of the brooder's black button-down. Brooke muttered, "Just get it off… Take it off…" For some reason, Luke's shirt was being particularly difficult that morning.

And a horny Brooke was never a patient Brooke –she was already down to her skimpy skirt and black-lace bra.

Luke actually found her desperation amusing. When she was about to rip off the buttons, he pulled her hands off. "Here, lemme," he just pulled the shirt off over his head, "Better?"

"Much," Brooke breathed into his mouth, her nails raking throughout his broad chest, grabbing that silly necklace she'd gotten for him a few days ago (just because she saw it and figured it'd look good on him), and pulling his face down.

Luke's hot mouth planted a trail of wet kisses from her chin to her collarbone, biting down on her shoulder –leaving her a reminder of him for the weekend –and eliciting a loud, throaty moan from her luscious lips.

He lifted her and laid her down on the empty table –they both knew they wouldn't make it to her room, anyways.

Brooke was sprawled on the couch wearing only Luke's way-too-big-on-her shirt (feeling happy that she didn't rip out the buttons like she'd wanted to in the beginning) and she was completely spent –the broody blonde had a way of wearing her out. Luke walked back over to her, two cold Coronas in one hand, a bag of Brooke's favorites chips in the other.

"Y'know there's practically an entire liquor store sitting on your kitchen counter, right?" he questioned, "Not to mention the beer-filled fridge."

Brooke just let out a giggle, "Party supplies stash, which, by the way, you're kinda mooching off of so don't whine about it." she let out a content sigh, "I can't believe we've got the whole place to ourselves today. There's always someone in here."

Luke kissed the top of her head, "Well, how persuasive is your boyfriend that he got Jake and Haley to leave early?"

Brooke bit her lip, but couldn't contain the dimpled smile, "Yeah…my boyfriend is pretty awesome."

Luke leaned forward and kissed her, rubbing her shoulders. She'd pulled off the duvet and wrapped it around herself. "Keep that blanket there for the afternoon-living-room quickies?"

"Ha-ha, funny. No, it's 'cause Haley likes to nap in here sometimes, and this couch is new so it's…untainted." Brooke laughed, amused, "No one really wanted to even sit on the old one after finding out that Rachel slept with Nate there."

The idea brought a sly grin to Luke's face. "Untainted, huh?" he raised an eyebrow, "Well, y'know what'd be really good to do before I leave early tomorrow –start the party early, leave our mark on the couch."

Brooke let out an elated squeal when he began nibbling at the sensitive spot on her neck. "Luke!" she shrieked, he was already sliding the shirt off of her and he knew she wouldn't say no. Releasing a moan, the brunette sighed, "Okay…oh, yeah, lets…lets break in the couch."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

The apartment seemed fairly small with so many people crammed into it. The entire Sigma Chi house and the cheer squad, plus Brooke's favorite Delt boys were there. A Brooke Davis/Rachel Gatina party always fills up.

Piz had been doing booze runs throughout the week –buying bottles of rum, vodka, tequila and a few cases of beer –and he was now DJ-ing. Owen had volunteered to serve as the party bartender. The music came out the small speakers they'd set up in the afternoon and pumped throughout the entire apartment.

It seemed that this night Clay and Nate had switched roles. Clay had been dancing closely with Rachel all night long, and Nate in turn had been circling Alex Dupree –similar to what his brunette counterpart was doing the week before.

Sitting across from each other in the living room's coffee table, Brooke and Dean had been battling head to head in a shot competition for a good three hours now. At first everyone crowded around them, placing bets on who'd be the first one to wuss out (or puke). But now everyone was just there to listen to the inane toasts they proclaimed before each drink.

Dean raised a hand to quiet down the crowd, "The road goes on forever, but the party never ends," he announced proudly, "Cheers!"

"Now, when I lay me down to sleep, there'll a bottle of tequila at my feet," Brooke said in all seriousness –they were on the third bottle now. "And if–_if_ I shall die before I wake, tell _all_ my friends I drank it straight!"

A burst of claps and whoops emanated from the other party-goers, followed immediately by loud boos when the music stopped abruptly. "Hey, party people, listen up!" called out Piz, "Bartender has just informed me that we are out of booze –no beer, no shots, no nothing."

All eyes turned to the brunette who was more than wasted. Her small hands clasped on to Owen's shirt and pulled him down to face lever with her as she whispered a question into his ear. With a swift nod from the QB, Brooke jumped up on the table and announced: "Party's been moved! Kegger at the Sigma Chi house, lets go!"

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke woke up unsure of where she was. It definitely wasn't her bed and she did not recognize the warm black comforter that covered her from head to toe. Pulling it down, noting that she was wearing only boy shorts and a Blue Devil football jersey with number #6 on it, she groaned. Her throat felt dry as a fucking dessert and she had the faintest taste of tequila and beer in her mouth. She was face down, and had apparently fallen asleep with her head by the foot of the bed.

What the fuck had happened last night?

The bedroom door opened. "Mornin' sunshine!" Clay greeted with his best lopsided grin. He wore only a pair of black Adidas soccer shorts and smelled like beer. Or maybe the whole room was permeated by the smell of beer and Clay was just standing there. Brooke wasn't sure which.

The brunette groaned hoarsely. "Ugh. What the fuck happened? Where am I?"

"Sigma Chi house. More specifically, Basher's room." He informed her, placing a highball glass on the footlocker right in front of her face. "Hydration's key." He added matter-of-factly.

Brooke covered her head with the comforter once more. The room appeared to be spinning and it was making her dizzy. Random bits and pieces of last night coming back to her. Her alcohol tolerance was incredibly high, so she knew that she must've drank twice her weight in booze to be feeling this shitty.

"Fuck, it's cold in here." Muttered another voice from the floor. Startled, Brooke threw a foot of the bed, kicking whoever was down there on the head. "Jeez! The fuck's wrong with ya, Davis?" Questioned a boxer clad Tim Riggins as he sat up.

"What are you doing here, Rigg?" She glanced at Clay in search of an explanation, but he just shrugged his broad shoulders. Both brunettes turned their eyes to Riggins, expectantly. "I…_blurrily_ remember Owen carrying me in here and telling me that the room was free for the night."

Tim sat up on the floor and cocked an eyebrow, "Well, it was free…till your big ol' butt took over the whole bed."

Brooke threw her other foot down and kicked him again. "I do not have a big ol' butt." Then, she turned to Clay and gazed at him intently, "Hey, did I, like, hallucinate this or did you actually hook up with Rae tonight?"

Clay just rolled his eyes, "_Non-ya_." He chuckled, "Have you checked your mail, Dimples?"

"Uh, I slept here, dumbass. What do you think?" God, she was kind of a bitch when she had a hangover.

Stretching his toned arms over his head, Clay threw an opened up cream-colored envelope on the footlocker, right next to the glass. "Well, that little piece of news oughta sober you up. See ya downstairs, B." And with that he left the room.

Brooke didn't even have to see what was inside to know what it was. She'd recognize that ridiculously expensive stationary and surprisingly neat calligraphy anywhere. In the past, she'd gotten plenty of that same type of letters, and she was sure that she'd have one of her own when she arrived back at the apartment.

Finally grabbing it and spilling its contents on the bed in front of her, she released a tremulous breath and decided to first check out the note.

_Clayton: _

_This year you & Brooklyn are to attend the Charity Gala during Thanksgiving break –Victoria & Kenneth have already sent her the invitation.  
It's in two weeks. I've enclosed both of your plane tickets –first class, of course. _

Below that terribly personal, barely-paragraph was the overly elaborate signature of Mr. Bradford T. Evans, Clay's father.

"Fuck my life." She muttered, quickly scanning the plane tickets. Neither she nor Clay had been invited to their families' very public holiday parties in two years. The fact that they were being dragged out now could only mean that their parents needed them to complete the perfect family photo-op.

"It's cold in here." Repeated Tim in his husky southern Texas drawl. "Care to share some of that comforter, Davis."

Brooke reluctantly scooted over and Tim crawled up into bed and got under the covers. "What's that?"

"We've been summoned back home for the holidays. Clay and I," she clarified.

Even a guy as clueless as Riggins purposely was most of the time could sense the underlying discomfort the brunette felt at the moment. "Don't like goin' back home, I take it," It was more of a statement than a question.

"While I'm sure that Hicksville, USA or wherever the hell you grew up was right out of a Norman Rockwell painting and everybody loved you, it isn't like that where I'm from." Brooke scowled. Yeah. She was definitely a bitch when she had a hangover. "We're not all small-town-football-playing heroes, Riggy."

He chuckled, shaking his scraggly bangs out of his face as he usually did. "Is that what you think my life's like? Well, Davis, I'll show ya mine if you show me yours."

Brooke raised a dark eyebrow in defiance, "Hmm, how about I'll show you mine if I find yours interesting enough." She countered.

"Aight. I'm no chicken." He sighed, "Here's the dope, princess. Grew up in Dillon, Texas. Bum dad who thought I was shit, raised by my big brother who's a mess. I was labeled the town drunk who'd never go anywhere. So how's that for Norman Rockwell? And, of course, there's that one girl who broke my heart. Goin' back to home just puts you in the light that everyone saw you before –even if you've changed."

"Wow." She muttered, surprised at the insight of the statement.

Tim quirked his eyebrows immediately shaking off any residue of emotion that talking about his past brought up. "So, that interesting enough for ya, Davis?" The question was completely rhetorical, "Spill it."

Deal's a deal, and Brooke Davis never wussed out. "Grew up in New York. Upper East Side, and no, it is not everything _Gossip Girl_ cracks it up to be. Daddy's a cheater and kind of a drunk. Mommy's too wacked out on Paxil to bother. My brother's the Golden Boy they'd always wanted and I'm the accident that came after. And yes, there was a guy, but no hearts were broken. In fact, I can say with full confidence that our hearts were the one body part not involved at all in our relationship." They both laughed at the comment.

"Upper East Side, New York…" Tim repeated with a pensive frown. "That mean you're loaded? You a rich kid, Davis?"

Brooke scoffed. Of course that's what caught the ass-hat's attention. "I'm not loaded. My parents are loaded."

"Oh, oh! _Patented_ rich kid response. You are loaded, Davis." He snickered, "How much? What do your parents even _do_?"

"They basically own stuff. Everything from stocks of Fortune 500 companies, to vineyards in places whose names I can't pronounce, to farms of something or other," The boy actually looked impressed (as did everyone once they found out). Brooke could only bring herself to shrug, "Among other things." She added casually.

"Damn…!"

"A brain like you, Rigg, I'm surprised you haven't put it together yet." She continued sarcastically, releasing a scoff, "I'm Brooke _Davis_. My father," she paused to clear her throat, "My father is Kenneth Davis, owner of Davis International… I, uh, I don't really like to tell people because my parents' money seems to make its way into every relationship I've ever had. And believe me, they don't need any more leverage over me."

He offered her a quizzical stare, "Never really figured you for the type to let the 'rents control whatcha do."

"I don't. It just… We're all expendable until we're needed. _That_'s what my family is." She licked her painfully chapped lips slowly, "You get used to it after a while. There's no escaping that."

Riggins chuckled, "Precisely why I'm not goin' home this year. Y'know the problem with people who _used_ to know you? They ain't got no interest in getting to know you again, so they'll always only see who ya used to be." He shrugged, "I don't wanna move backwards."

Brooke nodded her head slowly as if to somehow convey both her agreement and understanding. Ideally, this would've been the time when Brooke and Riggins exchanged some comforting words or attempted to express some sympathy or feel some empathy. But he was Tim Riggins and she was Brooke Davis. They didn't do that shit.

Instead, Tim just snorted, "Sucks to be us, then." And leaned forward to grab the glass that Clay had left behind. "Mm. Tastes familiar." he said after taking a few sips, "What is this?"

"I don't know." She snatched the glass away and took a sip. "It's juice. Cranberry." Tim only offered her an expectant frown. "You usually drink it with vodka, big boy. Now lets go," she kicked off the comforter and sat up, "Juice ain't gonna cut it. I need a huge glass of milk… And waffles."

Brooke picked up a blue Sigma Chi hoody off the floor and slipped it on. "You were right. It really is fuckin' cold. See ya down there."

"Yup. See ya." He replied with a jut of his chin.

"And Riggy?" Tim looked up at her with blue puppy-dog eyes. "Not a word to anyone."

"Don't worry, princess." He replied with a smirk and a wink, "Secret's safe with me."

-xx-

The spacious Sigma Chi kitchen was full and buzzing with movement. A large table from across the room was crowded by the Sigma Chi boys, half of them howling about some sorority chick they'd banged the night before, the other half was whining about being hungry.

Rachel was attempting to make breakfast for 45 guys and they were all way too impatient. "God! All ya'll better shut the fuck up or else no one's getting any of this." She threatened only to have the guys burst out in a chorus of _oohs_ and _ahs_. "I meant the food, jerk-offs." She spat out at them with a glare.

Dean smirked, "Now, now, Cherry Pie, you know how I feel about verbal abuse. If I must be submitted to it, I demand you do it in skimpier clothes than that." He chuckled, "And where's Muffin at?"

A low growl from Owen accompanied by matching scowls from Nate and Clay signaled him to shut up. Brooke (and apparently Rachel now, too) were off limits at the Sigma Chi house.

Speak of the devil. All eyes turned to the staircase where Brooke had just tripped on the last three steps. That girl could rock any look 'cause even in with her hair all over her face, an overly sized jersey and shorts with something stupid written across her ass she looked like she'd just stepped out of a magazine.

Nate couldn't help the smirk at the sight of the disheveled brunette. "A Rip Van Winkle finally graces us with her presence!"

"Shove it, Natie." Brooke muttered as she stumbled over to the kitchen and sat on the counter in front of Rachel. "Got milk?"

Owen walked up behind her with a big glass and a plate of his special chocolate chip waffles –'cause in the world according to Brooke Davis, waffles kicked pancakes' ass any day of the week. "Little B's special hangover food coming right up."

"What would I do without ya, O?"

The giant, black-haired male's lips quirked up into a playful smirk, "Probably starve. We all know you can't cook shit, B."

Her reaction was a little delayed, but she scrunched her nose in an almost pensive manner, and frowned. "_Hey_! …I can…cook…_stuff_."

"Sure ya can," Owen said chuckling, in an attempt to appease her, "Now eat up –and get some water in, too. Milk's good, but you need to hydrate, 'kay? _Water_." He repeated slowly and emphatically, "Ya hear me?" Brooke nodded a little too enthused, "Atta girl." He grinned, pressing a brotherly kiss on her temple. Sometimes babysitting Drunk-Brooke felt like a full-time job.

Rachel sat down next to her, "Mornin', bitch!" she chuckled, "How much d'you remember about last night?"

"Bits and pieces." Brooke shrugged, "Not that many specifics. Anything important to fill me in on?"

Rachel bit her lower lip, pondering for a beat whether she should tell her best friends some of the drunken truths she'd slurred the night before. "Well, actually…somewhere between the wonderfully insightful toasts you and Nate made, you said some stuff… Stuff about Luke –and you. About how you liked him and how weird it was that the party just seemed a little bit flat without him there. And then you rambled on about all sorts of freaky-deaky things you two do that I never really needed –nor _wanted_ –to know."

"Shut up! Did not!"

"Well, someone's getting a little bit too crushed out, is what I think." Rachel nudged her, forcing Brooke to look up at her, "Seriously, B, are you playing with fire and falling for this dude?"

Suddenly, the brunette felt her throat dry up as sandpaper once more…she wasn't. Her thinking about Luke was purely because she hated ending the party without getting laid. But before she even opened her mouth, Rachel knew –the silence, the hesitant pause, told her everything she needed to know. Brooke Davis was falling for Luke Scott and she didn't even know it…_yet_.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Neither Brooke nor Rachel was particularly looking forward to heading home. From what they could recall, the party had been pretty wild –fucking awesome, but wild. And they were pretty positive that the place was completely turned around.

Opening the front door only confirmed their suspicions. First thing that caught their eyes was the 40+ empty bottles of booze scattered around the table (not to mention the ones scattered all over the floor), and the ridiculously tall pyramid of empty Corona bottles someone had left on the kitchen counter.

But that was not their biggest surprise. Not even close –sitting in the living room were Jake and Haley.

Those are the consequences of planning a clandestine party –you never know when you're gonna get caught.

_Gulp_. Fuc-king. Hell.


	14. Makes You Happy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Okay. I've officially become a douche at updating. I know. And I am ashamed and will definitely try to do better ('cause you guys –the best reviewers ever –deserve it). Feel free to completely call me out on it. Tell ma whatcha think, dudes. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Makes You Happy_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

-xx-

Brooke still wore Owen's football jersey and a pair of Clay's soccer shorts. Rachel wore a blue Sigma Chi hoody and a pair of Nate's basketball shorts. They actually made the walk of shame in dudes' clothes look _good_. Armed with coffee and positive thoughts, they psyched themselves up for some massive clean-up duty.

"Hey…did you and Clay hook up last night?"

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "_Non-ya_."

"That's what he said!" squeaked Brooke with a roll of her eyes, "C'mon, just tell me already. If my _BFFs_ are gonna be _effin_' each other I think I have a right to know."

Rachel simply went to grab the mail and with a scoff, ignoring the comment. Brooke headed for the elevator. "Oh, look at that," Rachel said, getting in to the elevator and handing her an envelope, "Vicky sent you mail."

"I find it utterly disturbing that you call my mother '_Vicky_'."

"What?" the redhead shrugged, "That's what your brother calls her."

Brooke snorted, "Yes. 'Cause god forbid she'd let her children defile her identity by actually calling her '_Mother_'. Hand it over," she snatched the envelope away, "Its just another party invite. It appears I am no longer a disgrace to the family name, which means I can be seen in public with them –are you gonna tell me if you're sleeping with Clay or not?"

"I'm not. We were both too blitzed so we mostly made out, ate Oreos…I _might_'ve let him lick something off my breasts at one point –it's kind of blurry." Rachel said offhand, opening the door to the apartment. "Didn't really go any further than that."

"'Kay." Brooke snickered. Of course _those two_ would get too stoned to focus on getting laid.

And while the idea of probing Rachel for more details was certainly alluring, they both immediately froze at the sight. Because, though Jake was probably gonna shrug it off as another Brooke-and-Rachel-it-just-happened-party thing, Haley was bound to be beyond pissed.

Brooke and Rachel gulped, simultaneously muttering, "Oh, fuck my life."

"Heeeey!" called out Haley, nearly tripping over herself as she jumped over the living room couch and stumbled her way over to them, "_You_. You two are in so, so, so, so…" she giggled, letting her voice trail off, "Huh...what was I saying?"

"That we're in…trouble?" Rachel furrowed her brow, "Are you okay, Hales? You don't look…normal." And she was acting fucking weird –normally Haley would be halfway through her second rant about how they were so completely irresponsible, Jake trying to soothe her.

Instead, Jake sat Indian style abnormally close to the TV mumbling something or other, and the honey-blonde just giggled again, gripping both of her roommates' shoulders for support. "I'm good. S'all _gooood_."

Brooke grabbed Haley's face, checking out her now very wide and kind-of-bloodshot eyes, "Oh, my god!" a hand flew up to cover her mouth, "Hales is…" she pulled Rachel aside, "Rae, we _finished _the pot cookies, right?"

"No, I took a few when we left and I left the rest…" her voice trailed off and she let out an exasperated sigh, realization washing over her, "On the kitchen counter."

With a roll of her eyes, Brooke turned back to Haley, laughing, "Well, sweetie, tell you what. How about we put you and Jay in your room; let you two have some downtime and…Rae and I'll clean up in here."

"O…kay," Haley slurred, "But we're gonna talk. 'Cause you're in a _loooot_ of tro –"

"–trouble. I know, sweetie, I know." Brooke lead her to the bedroom door, signaling Rachel to grab Jake. Hey, looking on the bright side, maybe they could convince them that the trashed apartment was part of their pot-induced haze.

Once the pair were locked away in Haley's room (easily distracted with some leftover party munchies and an iPod), Rachel dialed every Sigma Chi guy she had on her phone to come help –carrying out the bags with the empty booze bottles alone would take two guys. (How was it possible that no one OD'd on alcohol last night?). Brooke began picking up the empty cups; this felt like it'd take forever.

Five hours later (with plenty of help from Tim, Piz, Dean, Owen and Clay) the living room looked _almost_ livable and they were halfway through on the kitchen. Oddly enough nothing had been broken.

-xx-

With the apartment now cleaned up and back to its usual more-or-less-pristine state, Brooke walked into Haley's room to check in on her. She crawled up in bed next to her (for some reason, Jake had fallen asleep on the floor, his feet up against the wall and a pack of Chips-Ahoy clutched tightly in his hands).

"Tigger!" squealed Haley, throwing an arm around Brooke. "I missed ya. I've been kinda bored since Jake went beddy-bye…ah, Jake. I love Jake."

Brooke could only bring herself to laugh at the comment, "Yeah…"

"I'm serious. I know you just think its all…_crap_. But it isn't." Haley giggled, "I love him, and he loves me, and we both love _you_!"

"Yeah, right now, you love _everybody_."

"I mean it, B." she said, her tone turning slightly serious. "Love's good. And Jake still gives me butterflies, every single time we kiss. And he makes me happy. That's the big thing." her eyes turned to the boy sleeping on the floor across from her, "He makes me happy and I make him happy… And Luke makes _you_ happy. You should just go down and tell him 'cause holding things in isn't good. And he's good for you and you're good for him and it'd all be good. And good's good."

Brooke laughed because even when Haley was high as kite and rambling, she still made some sense. "Yeah, everything's looking real good right about now. Trust me, I should know…" she paused and smiled, "Luke's back, too?"

Haley nodded a little too vigorously, "Yes, he is. Him and Peyt hitched a ride with us 'cause Dan got a little too ass-y. _Goooo_!" she ordered, shoving the brunette out of bed.

Brooke climbed out of bed, laughing, "Okay, I'm going because I need to get laid, not because you told me to."

"Yeah, yeah!" Haley said dismissively as Brooke left the room.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

The Phi Delt house was crowded by the usual guys, Brooke walked in and bumped into Matt Saracen, who jokingly asked her to join in on a touch football game claiming that even the kings of the soccer team –Alexander, Sam and Duke –would be playing.

She turned him down, taking a rain check for the next one, and heading upstairs. Brooke tiptoed into the room. Luke was tucked under his blue sheets, headphones in his ears. The brunette jumped on top of him, grinning widely. "Hey, Broody," she greeted, "You're back."

Luke laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I am,"

"You didn't call. I thought you'd stop by the apartment."

"Well, I thought you'd be pretty tired out from the party." He brushed off a stray hair from her face and placed a kiss on her lips, "I was gonna head over there tomorrow –bearing coffee, of course. Y'know, I thought I could be boyfriend-y and walk you to class, maybe carry your books for ya –be a full-blown cliché."

Brooke laughed that four-year-old laugh that he thought was insanely cute, "Luke Scott wants to be boyfriend-y. Who knew?"

"Well, you do now." His navy-blue eyes met hers, "Hey, lets go out tomorrow. We can go out to the movies or something."

A dark eyebrow immediately rose up in both surprise and confusion. "That sounds suspiciously like a date," she chuckled dryly, "And I, uh, I thought we didn't do that."

"We don't. But it wouldn't kill you to go out with me. It's a movie. Completely casual." his hand was on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking circles on it, "C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?"

Brooke turned her face, dodging his expectant navy-blue eyes, "I've…never been on an actual date before. I'm a in-the-car-or-out-the-window girl."

He offered her an expectant look, "Fair enough. I've never been on a date before, either. But it's just a movie, Pretty Girl."

"Alright. Just a movie, then." She sighed, resting her head against his broad chest and taking him in (because even though she'd never admit it, she'd grown to like sleeping next to him and falling asleep on his chest, it felt safe somehow). Luke smelled like Downy and Polo cologne and like _Luke_ and that made her smile. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" the blonde nodded, his arm now around her shoulder, "Do I…make you…_happy_?"

"Yes." He answered without hesitation, and she could practically _hear_ him smirk. "Do I make _you_ happy?" He asked back, not really expecting an answer in return, only teasing her.

Brooke looked up at him, her hazel eyes seemed to somehow glitter, "Well…you don't make me sad." And with that, she laid her head back against his chest once more.

Her earnest tone told him that this was much more than anything she'd normally admit to anyone, let alone him. So, he simply placed a kiss on her head and stroked her hair twirling a few stray locks playfully between his fingers.

Luke rested his chin atop her head. "Hey…did Hales bust you from the party?"

"Um…kinda, but it turned out okay." _Or at least with a nice dope trip. _

"That's good. Do you wanna sleep over tonight? See if you can avoid any residual blowout tomorrow morning…"

Brooke ran her hands throughout his hair, "Yeah. Sleeping over sounds good." She pulled her cell out and texted Rachel.

_**To: rae**_

_not coming home.  
U R on babysitting duty w Jaley  
C U 2morrow_

Sure, Rachel wasn't going to enjoy dealing with Jake and Haley post-pot, but she'd be home early and help out –no way was she leaving Hales alone the morning after.

But she'd actually missed Luke this weekend and spending the night with him seemed too good to pass it up.

-xx-

**Monday  
Promenade**

Brooke had gotten home a little after nine and Rachel had immediately dumped Haley and Jake on her (both of whom were sober and aware, and Haley was waiting on Brooke to yell and ask her just how exactly she and Jake had ended up stoned).

Rachel took the chance to meet up with Nate for their regular coffee. And since it was a beautiful day, they decided to take it outside. "So, how come I was spared yesterday's clean-up duty? Clay said the place completely trashed."

"I don't really know, Brooke said it'd be weird and that five guys was enough, six was overkill." Rachel shrugged it off, "She was wrong though. Seven of us, and it took five hours to make the place look normal. Did you do something to piss her off?"

Nate smirked his best Nate Scott smirk, "Nah. I wouldn't call it piss off, more of a shock and awe. I told B I wasn't over her." he shrugged one shoulder as if it weren't a big deal, "Didn't really go over that well."

"Wow." Rachel smirked back at him, "Didn't think you'd tell her, not now that she's seeing Luke –your _brother_." He gave her an I-know-that look, and she shrugged, "Well, I was just reminding you."

"Well, Ms. Gatina, you're one to talk." he said cockily, "Rumor has it that while I was busy at the Tri-Delt house last night, you were sleeping with Clay –just, please tell me you did not do it on my bed. That'd be a little disturbing for me."

"Shut up!" Rachel shoved him playfully, "We _didn_'t." Nate just raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Really. We fooled around, he got some touch, but that was it. You know I'd tell ya if I did. I tell you everything."

Nate chuckled, looping an arm around her shoulder and tossing his empty coffee cup in the nearest trashcan. "That you do. Nice to see someone got a little close to hooking up with who they wanted last night. For the rest of us –namely me –it was an epic fail."

"Aw, not epic, dude! You got to sleep with Alex and we all know she's just chockfull of good times." She laughed, attempting to kick his butt as they walked and nearly tripping in the process –(he was just too tall, and with a chuckle, he declared 'Good try,').

After a few beats of silence, Nate laughed, "So…is it true you got Haley and Jake high and that that's why you and B didn't get your asses chewed out yesterday?"

Rachel arched her eyebrows in disbelief, "Seriously! Where are you getting all this info? Gossip Girl trailing us or something?"

Nate just scrunched up his nose, "What's a Gossip Girl?"

"You are so _not_ a pop-culture connoisseur." Declared Rachel shaking her head with a roll of her eyes. "How do you not know what Gossip Girl is?"

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Haley did in fact go into a huge rant (not feeling even a bit amused that they'd tried to trick her into thinking the party-mess was one of her pot-hallucinations). Jake was still oddly mellow and found the idea of pot cookies utterly clever –more surprised by the fact that Rachel even knew how to turn on an oven, much less bake something (and something good 'cause the cookies were excellent –and that wasn't the pot talking).

It took a lot of apologizing from Brooke and sweet talking from Luke and Jake to calm her down, all three of them convinced that they really wouldn't get Hales to laugh about it any time soon. (But the girls did score some brownie points for getting the place back into shape; no one really bothering to mention that they'd had help).

Haley's hands were placed firmly on her waist; she released a breath signaling that the speech was coming to a close. "And how am I ever supposed to leave you two in the apartment alone again?"

"We're caught, I admit it. I knew better, but it was a party, Hales –come on, it's college. Nothing was broken or stolen and we did not let anyone into any of the bedrooms so your bed is totally unscathed." Brooke flashed her that million-dollar-dimpled smile, which immediately worked its charm, visually softening up Haley, "And I know that it was totally uncool to not check in with you about the whole thing. This is your place, too and your name is on the lease right next to ours. We promise not to do it again."

Jake snaked an arm around her waist and Luke laid a hand upon her shoulder, both males flashing her endearing smiles, "Alright, fine," Haley sighed, "Maybe I overreacted a little. A party is to be expected from you two –getting doped up without knowing it from eating a few chocolate chip cookies was a little much…but I'll get over it."

Brooke squealed, hugging the honey-blonde tightly, "You're awesome, Hales!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Haley sighed, pointing towards Luke, "And we gotta move it, buddy. We'll miss class."

Luke took a step forward and kissed Brooke lightly on the lips. "You look pretty today…in case I didn't mention it before." he said quietly, wishing now that he hadn't signed up for an early Monday class.

Brooke gripped his t-shirt, pulling his lips back onto hers for a longer kiss, "You didn't, but I'm willing to let it slide." She whispered against his lips, "I'll meet up with you later, right?"

"Definitely." He leaned down for a final kiss before Haley dragged him out the door, muttering something about Brooke & Luke sitting in a tree.

Jake shook his head, and nudged Brooke, laughing, "You and Rae do know how to throw a party, B. I'll give you that much." Brooke only shrugged innocently as if she hadn't done anything at all. To which Jake raised an eyebrow, "Pot cookies? You two don't get _nearly_ enough credit for your inventiveness."

"Don't you have some…pre-law-seminar-class thing to get to right about now?"

Jake slung his messenger back over his shoulder. "Yeah. Do you promise not to make crack cupcakes while I'm gone?"

"Please," Brooke scoffed, "You know I can't cook."

"Right."

-xx-

**Monday  
Starplex Cinema**

Brooke had gotten to the theatre about three minutes before the movie began. Luke –used to her being late –was waiting for her with the tickets, pop-corn, sodas and Twizzlers (because according to Brooke, you couldn't watch a movie without Twizzlers).

"Hey, Broody, what're we watching tonight?"

Luke smiled, handing her a ticket, "_Iron Man 2_. Not a chick-flick, but not exactly a guy movie, either. Plus, I know you have that thing for Robert Downey Jr. –"

"And you're not jealous about that?" she asked skeptically.

"Somehow, I don't think he's that much competition." He chuckled, "But as soon as he starts goin' to Duke, then we'll have a problem." He threw an arm around her shoulder and they went to grab their seats.

"Okay. Lead the way, Boyfriend."

-xx-

Once in the car, Luke eyed her carefully, smiling cockily, "So…"

"What?"

"Date was good? You had fun and the world didn't end." He commented smirking, "Any chance we might get to do it again sometime? Or is that too much of a miracle?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "You've already guaranteed getting laid tonight, Broody. Don't push your luck."

"I'm getting laid tonight?" He raised an eyebrow, "And here I thought I'd demurely walk you to your door and maybe get a kiss goodnight."

"Well, if you don't want the sex that can always be arranged…"

Luke grabbed her face, pulling her toward him into kiss, chuckling, "Wanna head back to my place? I don't feel like backseating it tonight."

"Um…" Brooke chewed on her lower lip pensively, staring into his eyes and smiling, "How about we stay at my place tonight? We haven't done that in a while."

And they hadn't. Luke had been allowed to sleep over a total of five times –all of which were not planned, they kind of just happened. Brooke still liked to keep her space and, like so many things with her, Luke simply decided to not push it, and take things in stride as they developed.

"Yeah. I'd like that." he smiled, kissing her once more before putting the car in gear. It wasn't a long drive back to the apartment, but still, Luke's hand was resting on her knee the entire time. And Brooke smiled to herself, leaning in closer to him and kissing his scruffy cheek just because.

Maybe Luke Scott _did_ make her happy after all…

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Duke University**

Rachel was sitting under a tree intently reading a book (no one could get anything done in the apartment when Brooke and Luke were shacked up in her room –they were so loud even the deaf could her them going at it), and Rachel had never really been one for hanging out at the no-speaking libraries. "Hey, Beautiful," called out a familiar smooth voice.

"Ah, Clay Evans," She smiled, closing her book, "Ever the smooth talker. What brings you around campus?"

Clay flashed her his trademark lopsided grin, "Class. Thought it was about I take one of those in…you know, just to check 'em out."

"Hmm." Rachel pursed her lips, a smile beginning to form, "And how'd that work out for ya?"

"Not that good. Too much work." He picked the book off her hands and flicked through it absentmindedly, "There's, like, all this required reading, too. Totally mind numbing."

"You think you're so cute, don't you?"

"No. But you do." Clay grinned once more, "Or do you not think I'm cute anymore? 'Cause the other night you were saying I was _real_ cute."

Rachel smirked, "Well, the other night I was stoned."

"Oh, I remember," he said, his gaze shifting downward as he ran his index finger along the cleavage of her tank top slowly, "I also remember eating some whipped cream off some really interesting places. Possibly the best I've ever had."

"If I ever give you anything it definitely will be."

Clay lifted her chin up so she was looking right into his eyes, "So how about I stop by tonight? See how good you really are,"

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "How's nine work for ya?"

"I'll be there early, Beautiful." He said with a sly smile, "I go on for a long time."

"Yeah, tsk," she shrugged, "The cockiness…not really a turn on. But, yeah, I'll see ya at nine. See how Rowdy you really are." With that she stood up and left him grinning dumbly.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

By the end of the week, the party was old news (though still completely memorable, yet blurry in everyone's mind –and that was in the best sense possible) and everyone was gearing up for the next one (some massive Pi Sig kegger –the kind they were so well-know for).

Brooke found herself squished in between Dean and Tim on the couch. Both guys were enthralled in some big _Madden_ game on Xbox that seemed completely dull to her and she was one second away from bailing and ditching Clay for his out-of-the-blue lunch-date.

Clay came downstairs in a pair of Brooks Brothers khakis and a stripped Armani button-down –a look Brooke hadn't seen on him since they were back home and forced to fit a certain image. "Nice outfit, Fauntleroy. If I had known we had to dress up for lunch I probably wouldn't have worn jeans."

"Funny, ha-ha. You're a funny girl." Clay chuckled not entirely amused, "It's just laundry day, Dimples. I'm also down to my last pair of underwear, and I've got no more jeans left." He dangled a pair of keys in front of her face, "If you're nice, I'll let you drive the Jag."

Brooke snatched the keys away, "I'm always nice."

-xx-

Clay had picked out a non-descript dinner a little off campus. The place was pretty much empty (a guy at the counter staring at a half-full cup of coffee, another one at a table skimming the paper) and it smelled like apple pie and stale coffee.

The brunette pair grabbed a booth, and stared absentmindedly at the menu. They both knew they'd order burgers, fried and sodas. Checking the menu was mostly habit.

A waitress in a white cotton dress came over to the table, pen posed over her tiny spiral notebook. "What can I getcha, kids?" They ordered as predicted, Clay also asking for a cup of black coffee. For a second, Brooke wondered when he'd started drinking his coffee black.

Her gaze focused on her Coke glass, she absentmindedly stirred the liquid with the bendy straw. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this lovely lunch invite?"

"Just bored." Clay answered offhand with a shrug, lazily sipping his coffee cup, "It's been a dull, dull week."

"And here I thought Rachel was making it all very interesting for you."

His ocean-blue eyes met hers, and they stared at each other quizzically for a few seconds. But that wasn't really a problem; their silences had never been awkward. They could always tell what the other was thinking, words were just for everybody else's benefits.

Brooke cleared her throat, "Thanksgiving's break's coming up next week. You all set up?"

Clay lifted a shoulder casually, "What do we really need to pack? I have clothes back in my room and, from what I recall, you'd taken over half of my closet."

"Okay. What's got you in such a pissy mood, C?" Brooke finally caved, "Tell me already, 'cause seeing you sulk? Kinda boring."

"I don't know. I'm tired, I guess." He said, pursing his lips in thought, "Just wanted to take a break for a while. Go somewhere off the radar." He gestured around the empty place.

Brooke smirked, "This is definitely off the radar."

"Whatever," Clay grinned, "C'mon, lets ditch this place. Head to Al's for a drink, then Sigma Chi –O shelled out for a new pinball machine."

After a beat, Brooke smiled, things apparently returning to normal. "Yeah. Lets get outta here."


	15. If Home Is Where The Heart Is…

**AN: **So here's hoping this one's up a little faster (I thought it'd be up sooner, but it ended up being a lot longer than I expected. Sorry) and that'll score me some points with you guys. And don't worry, the drama will come. Just give me a little room to work it all out. This chapter's a little different 'cause you see everyone's family back at home (and that's probably gonna be a onetime thing). My usual shout-out to everyone who reviewed because it totally makes my day. Please, tell me what you think of this one.

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

If Home Is Where The Heart Is  
—Then We're All Just Fucked

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Haley & Rachel's Apartment**

Luke walked into his girlfriend's room to find her arguing heatedly on her cell phone. "No, I told you... Right, so just send it over to Clay's room... Look, I don't care. I am agreeing to wear whatever you choose. Explain to me why we're having an argument about it? ...So send it right on over, then… Yes, we will be there. I gotta go. Bye." With those lovely parting words, she slammed her BlackBerryagainst her bed.

"Hey, Pretty Girl." Brooke turned around startled and smiled at the sight of her boyfriend. Boyfriend. Fucking finally, after a few weeks, it felt kind of normal to call him that. (Never let it be said that Brooke Davis did not make emotional progress. She'd clearly matured a bit in the last few months.)

"Hi, Boyfriend." she said with a huge dimpled smile as she threw her arms around his neck. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you till later."

Luke shrugged, "Coach K. let us go early." he pursed his lips in thought. "Not sure if it was because we were playing on point or because he was pissed. It's hard to tell with him sometimes."

Brooke laughed and pulled him down to her bed. "Hey, what was that on the phone?" asked Luke as he put an arm around her shoulder. "You sounded upset."

"Nothing." said Brooke shrugging it off, "Just working out the details of Thanksgiving break. I've got a..._family thing_ back in New York." (It was mostly the truth. Sure, the thing was a party with over a hundred guests, but her parents were throwing it and that was about as much of a family event as they'd ever had.)

Luke sighed, "Uh, I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to Tree Hill with me for the break..."

Brooke leaned on her elbow and got on top of him. "Are you...asking to bring me home for Thanksgiving to meet your parents?" she asked in disbelief, gulping. This was definitely _not _was she did.

Luke laughed and rolled himself to be on top. "Maybe." he said with that smirk that, as of late, seemed to charm her into anything.

"That's cute. _Really_. I've always been an out-the-window-before-the-parents-see-you girl, never a bring-her-back-home girl." The brunette leaned up to peck his lips. "But I really can't. My parents have a thing and they've requested I be there. Attendance is mandatory. Besides…I don't do meet-the-parents. It's kind of a rule with me." That's too significant. Too formal. Too much like a serious relationship—which is just the kind she doesn't do.

"That's okay." he said with a slightly sad smile, "I'll just be bored out of my mind. My Dad does this stupid Mayor-dinner-charity thing and it's one of the few times a year he and my Uncle Keith are in a room without getting all up in each other's faces. Plus my Mom is actually _in town_ for this one. Anyway, I usually bail first chance I get." he explained, "I thought maybe you'd like to come. Spend the night out on the town with me."

Brooke only sighed, "Uh...that sounds fun. But my parents need me to go. Plus, I already have mine and Clay's plane tickets." she said, "But I'll see you when I get back, right?" She placed a soft and sweet kiss on his lips.

They rarely kissed like that. When their lips touched it was usually filled with lust and hunger. It was always rough and very rarely delicate. But every now and then, she'd kiss him just because.

And just like his smirk charmed her into doing whatever, every time she kissed him like that he folded like a house of cards. It was moments like those he thought he might be falling for her...

Brooke shook his chest, "Broody, you hear me? We'll do something when I get back, 'kay?"

…But of course he wouldn't tell _her_ that. Brooke Davis was the girl who didn't believe in love. And while he was sure that half the girls on campus would jump for joy if he said 'I love you', Brooke Davis would probably run the other way. He wasn't willing to risk that. Not yet.

Luke smiled and pulled her close against his chest, "Definitely, Cheery." he assured her.

"Good," She smiled that dimpled smile of hers, "'Cause I was also hoping that you'd give me a ride to the airport…"

Luke shook his head, amused, "Done."

"Great!" she replied, "Now, we got the place to ourselves for at least twenty minutes—"

"—which is not _nearly_ enough for what I want to do to you." Luke smirked, kissing down her neck.

Brooke squealed, grabbing the brooder's blonde hair and pulling him off, "No! C'mon, you know Rachel and Haley arrive soon and I don't need to hear any smarmy comments about us having sex in the middle of the day with them in the apartment."

"Well, they only know we're having sex 'cause you're so loud." He said, amused. "The 'oh, god' and 'harder, Luke' can be heard all over campus."

The brunette slapped his chest, "Shut _up_!" she screeched, "And it's not like it doesn't turn you on, but if you want me to stop..."

"Oh, no, please don't." Luke chuckled, "Nothing drives me wilder than hearing you scream my name."

Brooke positioned herself on top on top of Luke, straddling him, "Heh, I'm sure it does."

The door opened up abruptly and Rachel walked in, "Ugh, dismount," she instructed, making a face, "And you—" she pointed towards Luke "—Out. I need to talk to Brooke."

The brunette immediately rolled off of Luke, "Fine. I've got class in half an hour anyways." He said as he got off the bed, giving Brooke a final kiss. "Always a pleasure, Gatina." He commented as he passed next to her by the door.

The redhead cocked an eyebrow, "Right. Back at ya, Other Scott." Luke only rolled his eyes at the nickname, he was smart enough to know that getting on the best friend's bad side would only end up screwing him over.

"What's up, Rae?" asked Brooke, scooting over to make room on the bed.

"Are you seriously going back to New York for Thanksgiving?" questioned the redhead as she climbed up next to Brooke, "I thought you got over the whole pleasing-mommy-and-daddy phase while we were in high school."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I did. This isn't about that. Victoria sent me the invite and Clay's dad sent the plane tickets...it's been a while since I've been home. Besides, I thought you approved of all parties indiscriminately."

"And I do." Replied Rachel with a smirk, "But a bunch of old hags drinking champagne is _not_ a party. And what is with Luke? You two have been, like, _bonding_ lately."

Haley opened the door and stuck her head in, "Pop-corn's popped, movie's ready. Let's go!"

"Subject's done, Rae." Said Brooke, standing up, "And, please, lets not talk about me and Luke. Lets just…go fool around with Jay and Hales, and watch the fricking movie."

Rachel raised her hands, indicating that she'd dropped it, "Fine. Whatever."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
****Sigma Chi House**

The spacious living room was filled by the strains of The Beatles' _With A Little Help From My Friends_. The guys were very excited that they'd finally gotten _The Beatles Rockband _and they were trying it out that afternoon. Guitar, bass, drums and four microphones were plugged in. Wilke, Piz, Clay, Tim, Dean, Brooke and Rachel playing and singing (off-key) their hearts out.

After the first six-pack of Coronas, everyone was a fricking rockstar. (Even Dean had deigned himself to pick up a microphone and sing along. Oh the effects of alcohol.)

"_By with a little help from my friends! With a little help from my frieeeends!_"

Brooke and Rachel fell back onto the couch, laughing their asses off at the marvel of finishing the song with five stars, both clearly buzzed.

Tim had already busted out the next round. When everyone stared at him skeptically he only shrugged, "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think _not_." He said with more seriousness than that statement ever warranted.

Clay snickered, falling in between Brooke and Rachel, and turning to face the redhead, "Hey, Beautiful," he grinned his lopsided grin endearingly, tilting his head as he ran his long fingers throughout her red hair—it always felt like touching fire. "_C'mere_." He muttered, crashing his lips against hers. Her lips tasted like peppermint gum and he kissed her harder wanting to savor her entirely.

Dean took a pull from his beer, "Is it me or would that be _way_ hotter if it were Muffin and Cherry making out with each other?"

"I'll drink to that!" Wilke grinned.

Tim immediately clinked his bottle against Dean and Wilke's. "Cheers."

Piz laughed and Brooke scrunched up her nose—Wilke, Tim and Dean were getting way too predictable. She grabbed a cushion and smacked Clay's head with it. "Put some ice it, we're all sitting right here!"

"Just trying to get some tonight before having to leave tomorrow." Explained Clay, "Speaking of, what are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked, first looking at Rachel and then looking at the others.

Tim and Dean exchanged smirks, "Logan's Left Behind Party." They answered in unison.

"I'm Kansas-bound." Wilke answered, "Daddy said." he added after getting quizzical looks.

"Um, I'm going back home to Portland—well, actually, just outside Portland. This little suburb called Beaverton," stated Piz with a silly smile.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" They all guffawed, laughing until they turned red. "Golly gee, Beaver, I sure hope you have a good time at home. Send our love to the rest of Cleaver family."

Piz rolled his eyes, "What? Logan Echolls _hates_ me. I'm not exactly welcome at the Left Behind Party. And some of us actually _enjoy_ going home."

"Wait, back it up." Said Rachel, moving up to sit on Clay's lap. "What's the Left Behind Party?"

"Well, for those of us who _don_'t live in a Norman Rockwell world, Logan throws a massive party on Thanksgiving—for all the people who got _left behind _on campus. It usually lasts all weekend. Plenty of free booze and, last year, he brought strippers down from O.P.M." Explained Dean, "Can anyone say 'free lap dance'?" grunting as he bumped Tim's shoulder with his own.

"_Nice_." Rachel raised an eyebrow, "I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. But my parents aren't doing Thanksgiving this year so I'm staying here."

"I told you could come with us, crash our Thanksgiving." Offered Brooke once more. But Rachel was determined that if she wasn't going to bear down her family's obligatory party, then she wouldn't bear Brooke's either. Besides, Victoria Davis hated her.

"You should check out the party, Freckles." Suggested Clay, "Frick and Frack are right," he gestured towards Dean and Tim, "last year's was epic. If there's one thing Echolls can do, it's throw a good party."

Rachel's iPhone rang and vibrated in her purse. "Shit. I gotta go, I'm late."

"Leaving me already?" She leaned forward, kissing him once more and pulling away when he was starting to get into it. "Yeah. I'm late to meet my other boyfriend."

Clay pouted, "You make me feel _cheap_."

"You _are_ cheap." Rachel laughed.

Tim, Wilke and Dean cupped their hands around their mouth oohing and awing mockingly.

Brooke high-fived Rachel. Then clapping and giggling, they exclaimed: '_Burned_!' in unison.

Brooke's phone went off with a new text message.

_**From: Luke**_

_where R U?_

"Shit!" she jumped off the couch and slipped on her shoes. "I forgot I had to meet up with Luke. I'll see ya'll later," she turned to Clay, "And I'll meet up with you at the airport tomorrow."

Once more, Tim, Wilke and Dean cupped their hands around their mouths oohing and awing mockingly. Clay chuckled, and they all exclaimed: '_Whipped_!'

Brooke only smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Please, you're all just jealous I didn't hook up with anyone of you, asshats!" She planted a kiss on all their cheeks and then ran off

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Al's Backyard**

Al's was considerably empty, which was unusual for lunchtime since most students were just getting up and getting out scavenging for something to eat. Nate sat on a bar stool sipping on his Coke. Motioning for Al to bring him a refill on his cheese fries.

"Hey Moody, what's up?" Rachel popped up next to him, stealing his Coke and finishing it. She always had a way of stealing his food that he found both annoying and cute.

Nate reached for his back pocket and pulled out a key, "Harley. All yours this weekend, Goober. I'm driving down with Luke and Peyt. You know, the joys of sibling bonding," he said, linking his fingers together at the knuckles. "I didn't want to leave it parked around."

"You're trusting me with your baby?" Rachel asked in disbelief, "Nice. And _stop_ calling me Goober. You know I find it annoying."

"I think, deep down, you like it."

Rachel smiled when the new batch of fries arrived and she immediately pulled the plate over in front of her, ignoring Nate's sarcastic 'please, help yourself', and eating a handful. "Mm, how come you weren't at the Sigma Chi house today? We totally kicked ass in Rockband—I do a kick-ass Paul McCartney, Brooke does a mediocre John Lennon, and Wilke and Dean…just wail into the microphone." They both laughed, "Seriously, where were you?"

"Grabbing a bite." Nate shrugged, "Which you're totally stealing, by the way."

"I'm _hungry_."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Hey, you sure you're gonna be okay alone this weekend? I mean, Hales is going back home with Jake, and I'm going back, and Brooke and Clay are heading to New York. Everyone's fleeing back home…"

"I'm a big girl, Moody." Rachel shrugged, "Relax."

Nate smirked, "Okay, then." He leaned forward and gave her a peck, "I trust you'll take care of my baby for the weekend."

"Yeah. You know you can trust me, babe." Rachel smiled and winked at him.

"Sure." With that, he picked up his jacket, threw a couple of twenties on the counter to cover anything else the redhead might want to eat, and left the bar.

-xx-

**Thursday  
RDU Airport**

Luke had picked up Brooke and at the apartment, carrying her blue duffel bag into the car. He could notice the slightly subtle changes in her demeanor. She wasn't fiddling with the radio or belting out the wrong lyrics to some random song at the top of her lungs like she usually did.

"Hey," he said, his hand resting casually on Brooke's knee. "You're unnervingly quiet. Everything okay?"

The brunette flashed him a smile that was somehow not dimpled. "Yeah. Everything's good. I've just, uh, I've never been a fan of flying." Yeah, it was a lie, but an: I've-never-been-a-fan-of-going-home usually sounded strange to everyone.

"Alright," Luke said, still unconvinced. Brooke looked beautiful, but something was still off—_different_. The black skirt she had on was obviously way more expensive than what she usually wore and her long chocolate locks were clasped back away from her face, instead of loose and cascading down her shoulders or in a messy ponytail.

Luke pulled up on next to the sidewalk were Clay was already waiting with both plane tickets. But even something about him was off, too—even Luke could tell.

Dude looked totally preppy. He had on abnormally crease-free Brooks Brothers khakis and an untucked gray Gucci shirt and a black vest. He even had on a tie. His Wayfarers covered his eyes and instead of his stupid lopsided grin, his lips were pursed into a somewhat taunting manner.

The couple got out of the truck and Luke pulled her against his chest, kissing her before she went inside, "Hey," he called out, "Have fun."

"Yeah. Definitely." Brooke answered with smile.

-xx-

**Thursday  
****Lite N' Easy**

Rachel had decided that, since she basically had _no_ Thanksgiving plans, exploring a few bars near the area seemed like a good idea.

(Al's had closed for the weekend. It appeared even Al had a family to spend the day with.)

She parked Nate's bike outside the bar and walked in. The place wasn't overkill, but it was definitely a little crowded. Honestly, she was kinda surprised. She was even more surprised when she spotted a familiar face behind the bar.

"Owen Morello as I live and breathe." she exclaimed with a smile as she sat in the barstool in front of him. "You work here?"

"Four days a week." answered the large QB with a smile. "What can I get ya?"

Rachel shrugged and sighed, "Um, I don't know. Mix me up something good. Your choice. You're the crackerjack bartender, right?"

Owen raised an eyebrow, "Something flaming okay?"

"Bring it, Morello."

He grinned, "I always do, Gatina."

Owen got out three bottles and a tall glass. He mixed in Bailey's Irish cream and Kahlua coffee liquor. Then he layered the 151 rum on top. Finally, he lit it up and let it burn for a couple of seconds. "Blow it out. Make a wish."

Rachel leaned forward, pursing her lips and releasing a breath strong enough to cause the flame to completely die. Smiling, satisfied by the result, Owen pushed the drink towards the redhead. "Brookie Monster." he said, "Your girl named it."

Before she could take a sip, Owen stuck a straw in the glass. "Drink through a straw. No burning. And you get drunk faster."

Rachel sipped it. "It's good." she said, only slightly surprised. "So, uh, got time to talk a little with me or are you too busy here?"

Owen threw the bar rag over his shoulder and turned around. "Mattie!" he called out, wolf-whistling. "I'm taking my ten. Handle the bar." He crossed his arms on top of the counter and leaned forward, "So…what do you wanna talk about, Red?"

"Uh...I don't know. Saracen works here, too?" she laughed, "Never mind. Um, the drink's real good. Kinda sweeter than what I'm used to, but you pulled it off."

Owen grins, "Every time B. comes 'round here she orders that."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "Brooke knows you work here?"

"Yup, that girl knows everything." Owen chuckled, "Don't know why I took the Big Brother roll with her, but I did. I gotta say, I agree with Evans. It's the damn dimples."

The redhead giggled. "Yeah, well, Brooke's got ways. So how long you been working at..."

"The Lite N' Easy?" he completed for her. "Bussed tables here since I was a freshman, eventually they promoted me to bartender. Don't tell any of the guys, though. I live with 'em so I know how they get when they're drunk."

"Our secret, then." she said, glancing around the bar, "God, this place is kinda full. _And _it's the day before Thanksgiving. Really pathetic, huh?"

Owen cocked an eyebrow, "Said she who sat in the bar drinking with them."

"Well, I got nowhere else to go." she said with a shrug, "What's their excuse?"

"Back it up, shorty." he said with a confused frown, "What do you mean you got nowhere else to go?"

The redhead released a long sigh, "I mean that Brooke and Clay flew off to the Big Apple for a thing, Nate, Jake and Hales went off to Tree Hill. Basically, everyone went home—which is what you're _supposed_ to do. But I have no idea where my parents are because they didn't bother to return any of my calls."

The black-haired male shook his head, "Damn. That's messed up, Red. You okay?"

"I'm surprisingly used to it."

Owen opened his mouth, but got cut off, "O, uh, your five are over." he muttered, "Um, you're back to working the bar."

"You got it, Matt," He pulled out a glass and began wiping it, pretending to be hard at work. "Look, Red, my shift ends in half an hour and then I'm going to my Aunt's for the weekend. The whole fam's doing Thanksgiving there this year. You're welcome to tag along."

Rachel downed what was left of her drink and laughed, "Oh, trust me I am not the kind of girl you bring home to mom and the fam." she assured him, "Actually, I'm the kind of girl you hide in the closet and pray to god your mother _doesn_'t find."

"Well, good thing I didn't ask you to come home to meet mom and the fam." he intervened, "My brother and two of my sisters can't make it this year. Plenty of room. And my mom doesn't mind taking in a friend who's alone for the holiday. Plus, it's short drive. My Aunt lives right in Raleigh."

Rachel stared at him quizzically, "Look, I don't really need a pity invite, O. Thanks for the offer, though."

"It ain't pity." Owen said, amused, "You got nowhere to go, I got extra room. Unless you want to go to the debauchery that is the Left Behind Party. That's cool, too."

"Um...I actually wasn't planning to check it out." Rachel said with a shrug, "Thanksgiving in Raleigh it is. What else have I got to do?"

"That's what every guy likes to hear," the black-haired male smirked, "I'll pick you up in an hour?"

The redhead smiled, "You know where I live."

-xx-

**Friday  
The Imperial—New York**

Brooke and Clay walked into the prodigious hotel lobby, his arm casually thrown over her shoulder. Both wore big sunglasses and bored expressions. It had been a year since either of them had set foot in New York, having spent their last Christmas and summer breaks abroad.

Clay headed over to the front desk, "Hey, Dexter," he smirked, sliding his Wayfarers down on his nose, "Still keep a room key for me?"

"Mr. Evans," the concierge greeted with his usual expressionless face, "We certainly do. Your father told us you'd be stopping by this weekend."

Clay scoffed, "Of course he did." he said grabbing the little silver key off the desk and slipping his Wayfarers back into place, nodding for Brooke to follow him.

Brooke glanced at the concierge, "Hi, Dex," she said with a small wave. Plenty of nights crashing on Clay's couch put her on a first name basis with most of the regular staff.

The concierge tipped his head in greeting, "Ms. Davis."

"B, come on!" called out Clay, "Ride's here." She trotted off and got in the elevator with him.

-xx-

His old penthouse suite was just as he'd left it. Everything in its place from the lacrosse sticks he kept propped up in his closet to the framed pictures of wild nights out and the little sailing boat models he kept on his desk. All of it a reminder of how it was _before_.

(Before they went and became regular college students.)

"Home sweet home…"

Clay just shrugged and headed straight for the bar, automatically pouring a drink for them. He extended a decanter of scotch to her, "Cheers." he said, clinking them together.

Brooke raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Shouldn't we, like, settle in before getting drunk?"

"Screw that." he extended the decanter over to her once more, dangling it temptingly next to her face. "C'mon. Scotch. Lowland. Eighteen year. Y'know you want it."

She grabbed it and downed half of it. It tasted familiar and expensive and completely different from the Coronas they downed together on the worn out Sigma Chi living room couch.

Brooke just laughed. "Got any Milk Duds?"

"Ah, just like before, right?" Clay chuckled, pulling out the yellow box from underneath the bar, "Scotch and Milk Duds. You always did manage to mix your high-end tastes with 7-Eleven purchases."

"You know you love it!"

Clay laughed, and glanced towards the closet. Two black garment bags hanging on the open door, each one with a card pinned on them, one reading _CLAYTON_, the other one reading_ BROOKLYN_.

Brooke simply shrugged, she knew there'd be a dress there waiting for her. (As there always was.) "C'mon. Lets just get settled in. We can worry about that tomorrow."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Owen's Aunt's House—Raleigh**

Truthfully, Rachel Gatina was actually nervous right now. Yeah, Owen was nothing to her. As he'd so charmingly put it: 'I'm just bringing home a stray. Nobody should be alone for the Holidays.' But it was the first time in nineteen years that she'd done something like this. Going home with a guy without any sex involved...

Owen opened the door to the rustic house and they both walked in. It was small, but automatically welcoming. "Aunt Tara!" called out Owen, "Your favorite nephew's here!"

"Kitchen!" a chorus of voices called.

"Come on, Rae." he said turning to flash her a reassuring smile.

The small kitchen was pretty crowded. There were two older women hard at work and Rachel assumed they're Owen's mom and aunt. There was a black-haired guy (who was considerably smaller than Owen, but then again what guy wasn't?) playing with a PSP intently. And there was also a kid, a girl she assumed couldn't be much older than 15, listening to her iPod and ignoring all the movement around her.

"Ma," said Owen, hugging his mother and giving her kiss on the forehead and then turning to hug his aunt. He was fairly larger than both women and towered over them by over 5 inches.

"Right, so this is my mother, Angela Collette, and my aunt Tara." he said, gesturing between the smiling women, "And this guy," he said nudging the smaller guy, "Is my little brother, Chase—coming next semester to the Duke soccer team as star forward." Chase flashed Rachel a grin, and went back to his game, "And that little antisocial teen over there is my baby sister, Sammy."

Rachel flashed them all a polite smile. "And this is my friend Rachel. She just needed a place to crash for Thanksgiving weekend and, since Eddie, Tyra and Mary aren't coming, I thought we could use someone to fill up the extra room 'round the table." explained Owen.

"Yeah, um...sorry to intrude like this on your holiday." Rachel muttered, attempting to dust off her manners. She didn't really have any experience in this area.

"Oh, sweetie, you are more than welcome." said Angela with a warm smile. "As are all of Owen's friends."

"Yes, definitely," echoed Aunt Tara, "This house may be tiny, but everyone always gets a spot 'round the table. I still remember when Owen brought by that charming Brooklyn. She and Tyra had all sorts of fun running around, they even got Sam to dress up."

Rachel smiled, everyone seemed nice enough, no one minded her being there, and if Brooke could pull it off so could she. "Sounds like Brooke. Um, I'm not really much of a cook, but I can…bake. If you need any help that is."

"Ah, we definitely do." Assured Aunt Tara. "We still haven't done the pies."

"Here," Owen's mother handed her an apron and motioned for Owen, Chase and Sam to leave the kitchen, "Ya'll don't do anything in here and the cooks need space in the kitchen. Now move it on out, we've got this covered."

Owen glanced at Rachel, his gaze asking her if she was okay with staying in here. The redhead only shrugged one shoulder casually, smirking as if to say he could go—she had this handled.

One Thanksgiving with a normal family wouldn't kill her.

-xx-

**Friday  
Scott House—Tree Hill**

The large Scott house was beginning to fill up—sponsors of Dan's mayoral campaign, investors in Karen's café chain, big buyers of Keith's car dealership, and the always-present photographers for the local papers.

(Their family's usual party guests.)

In the small town that was Tree Hill, the Scott family was the big fish. For them, politics wasn't just a career—it was a lifestyle, and everyone was a just another political pawn.

Especially Dan Scott's three picture-perfect kids—Luke and Nate: the twin basketball stars following daddy's footsteps, and Peyton: the perfect and obedient all-American girl.

Nate and Peyton came down first, him in an all-black suit and she in a green dress that brought out the color of her eyes. (God, she hated it when people told her that.) The pair made their rounds, greeting everyone they had to and posing for a picture. They were used to it by now.

Luke came down a few minutes later, his blue suit perfectly fitting and he'd even shaved for the occasion. Scruff—according to his father—made him look like a derelict.

Dan laid a hand on his eldest son's shoulder and smiled widely while some guy snapped a few photographs. "When are you going to shave that godforsaken thing off your head?" Dan asked through gritted teeth, his smile never faltering. "It looks like a damn rooster is sitting on your head."

Before Luke could bark out a comeback, Peyton grabbed his arm, "Hey, Daddy," she greeted, "Come on, bro," she said, pulling Luke away.

"Thanks," Luke whispered.

"You're welcome. But really, you laying Dad out now will only get us our asses chewed off later." Peyton looked around the room, smile still in place, "I'm not in the mood right now."

"Are you ever in the mood, sis?" Luke questioned, clearly amused.

Peyton's eyes narrowed at him, her brothers were far too annoying. "Shove it, bro. Try to behave yourself, and smile pretty for the camera. It'll all be over soon."

Nate appeared next to them, another photographer in tow. This was a pose they knew by heart. Peyton stood in the middle, both brothers placed an arm around her waist, as did she with them.

_Click_! _Flash_!

The teenagers' forced smiles never faltered. (Or at least they didn't use to, as they got older the tinges of rebellion began to take over—especially with Luke.)

Nonetheless, they were part of the well-oiled gears of a fine business and political machine—Dan now aspiring to take a senate seat and Karen looking to expand her café chain, yet again.

Mrs. Karen Roe-Scott had just walked into the party, Keith Scott following her in a few minutes later. Karen first spotted her eldest son taking a champagne flute off one of the server's trays. She walked over to him and delicately slipped it out of his hands, "Thanks, honey,"

Lips pursed in distaste, Luke rolled his eyes, "You're welcome, Mom." He'd forgotten that Dan's next run was heavily based on family values and clean teens; his underage son drinking at a charity campaign party sent the wrong message.

"Oh, Lucas, when are you going to quit the petty rebellions and get your hair back to looking normal again?" Karen released an overwrought breath, "I mean, sweetheart, it looks like there's a rooster sitting on top of your head."

"Gee, that sounds vaguely familiar."

"Really, Lucas," Karen sighed, "If you're not willing to invest in us, how can you expect us to invest on you?"

Luke shook his head, "'Cause everything's always a business transaction, right, Mom?" he scoffed, "Oh, look, Uncle Keith's signaling you over—another _business deal_, I'm sure."

The Karen/Keith affair was one of the Scott family's dirty little secrets.

His mother had the good sense to at least blush. "I am not going to dignify that ludicrous comment with a response, Lucas. You know better than that."

"No, what I know is to keep my mouth shut when it serves this family." Luke hissed, grabbing the champagne flute off his mother's hands and downing it in a single gulp. "So you really have nothing to worry about, Mom. I've been taught well. Now, I'm gonna go, but I am certain that you and Dad will think of some lovely excuse to justify my absence."

Nate approached his mother, laying a hand on her shoulder, "Hi, Mom," he said with a polite smile.

"Nathaniel," Karen smiled, kissing him on the cheek and tussling his hair like she used to do when he was a kid, "How are you, darling?"

Nate smiled, "I'm doing good, Mom." he said, "I can't believed you made it."

"Well, it's Thanksgiving, honey," replied Karen, "Where else would I be?"

"Right." Nate chuckled. "Where'd Luke go?"

"I don't know, honey," she said in a somewhat stoic manner, "But you and your sister need to fill in the gap, so you two go do your rounds. Remember to say hello to the Morgans, we're looking to get their support."

Nate didn't even bother to scoff. Instead, he sighed, "Sure. Peyt wants to say hello, by the way—you know, before you and Dad disappear to give an interview."

He'd grown used to being seen as another pawn in the family business and he figured that now when he was only home, like, three times a year there really was no sense in fighting it. What was the point anymore?

-xx-

**Friday  
The Imperial—New York**

Clay finished tightening up his cummerbund and checked himself out in the mirror. "Dude, I look like a damn waiter." he complained.

Brooke laughed, "Yeah, a waiter in a five thousand dollar Armani tux. Those are so very common." she said sarcastically, turning her back to him, "Zip me up, please."

Clay zipped up her silver Oscar de la Renta couture dress. It hugged every curve of her body perfectly and had just the right amount of cleavage. She was actually bummed that Luke wouldn't get to see her in it—then again he'd probably rip it right off with his teeth so maybe it was for the best.

"Tie." he said placing the black silk bowtie around his neck. Brooke stood in front of him, and quickly and skillfully tied it. After so many years, it came natural to her. "Perfect."

Clay scoffed as he straightened it up a little, "This thing's downstairs, right?"

"Just like always, babe." Brooke nodded, grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "When has your father ever thrown a party outside his property limits?"

Clay ignored the rhetorical question and silently followed her, "Jacket." she reminded him, pointing towards the couch. The male brunette grudgingly grabbed it and shrugged it on. "Tails? Come _on_! For a freaking dinner thing?"

"Hey! Try walking in this dress in five-inch heels, and then you can complain about a stupid jacket." Brooke scoffed, "Toughen up, Evans."

Clay raised an eyebrow. "You always have a comeback for everything. It's annoying."

"And after all these years, you'd think you've gotten used to it by now."

"Smartass."

-xx-

The party was pristine and undisturbed, and it felt like their childhood (almost as if time had stood still and the years they'd spent away were part another world—and technically speaking Duke was a whole different world).

A flawlessly decorated room full of people in expensive clothes; some of whom they knew but had forgotten their names, and others they didn't have a clue whom they were but would be expected to know them anyway. Same old, same old.

Even as they walked in arm in arm, it felt like the night would be predictable: Clay's father would disapprove (because _nothing_ was ever good enough) and Brooke's mother would criticize everything (because she always found _something_ to pick on). Clay would fall back into his rich kid ways (because it was easy and old habits always died hard), and Brooke would drink too much champagne and fool around (because she needed something to take the edge off, to make things _not_ boring).

And it happened instantly, like it always did—it was practically automatic by now and it was like that every time they met up with their parents—

Victoria Davis air-kissed both of Brooke's cheeks, made some comments about how the dress would've looked better if she was slimmer, and that her brother was way too busy with papers (meaning: he went to Yale—a _real_ Ivy League college—unlike you) and her father was running late at work (meaning: he was busy diddling his secretary, but he'd come around sooner or later).

Bradford Evans gave Clay a deeply disappointed look—the kind he only reserved for his son—and criticized that he was having a drink, and made a snide remark ('You'll never grow up. I don't know why I expected anything else from you. At least you never fail to disappoint, do you son?), leaving Clay feeling like shit as per usual.

"I need another fucking drink. Where's the bar?"

_Now_ it felt like family night.

-xx-

All in all, they were supposed to be having fun. Posing for pictures that would be plastered all over page six the next day and drinking Dom. Clay had blonde twins from Sweden—Anna and Savannah—who found him very cute and laughed at all his jokes. And plenty of guys flirted with Brooke—all of them knowing the wild reputation of Ms. Brooklyn Davis.

That was a good party by their definitions.

But Brooke was bored. This party was too stuffy. Under her mother's watchful and critical eyes she felt suffocated. The tolerance threshold she'd developed when she was in high school seemed to have faded now.

She wanted out. _Now_.

Brooke pulled Clay away from the twin whores, and he frowned in protest, "Clay, I'm…I don't want to be here anymore. Can we just bail? _Please_."

Clay's blue eyes met hers and he sighed, leaning over the bar and pulling out two bottles of champagne out of a box. "Party favors," he explained with a smile, "Where're we going?"

Brooke smiled back at him. Honestly, it'd always been like that. Clay tried to make the best of things and have fun in every situation—he adapted and went with the flow.

(When life gives you lemons…bust out the tequila and salt.)

But Brooke had never really been able to do that—when something felt off, she couldn't have fun. And what's the point of a party if you aren't having fun?

"How'd you dad get here tonight?"

Clay pursed his lips in thought, "Chopper, I think. _Why_?"

"I'm thinking we could borrow it and head out," Brooke shrugged, as if she'd just suggested taking a cab instead of stealing Bradford Evans' helicopter.

The male brunette nodded, "Right. There's also a limo parked right outside, mini-bar completely stocked. I'm pretty sure my father will be a little less pissed if we take that—unless you had your heart firmly set on taking the copter…"

Brooke smirked at the sarcasm in his tone, "Limo will do."

"Excellent," Clay replied with his lopsided grin. "Were we going?"

A smile instantly appeared on Brooke's face. "I know just the place."

-xx-

**Friday  
Jaglieski House—Tree Hill**

As was the norm, The James' were on the road for the holiday. Every once in a while, they'd pop up by Duke to 'check in' on their baby girl but it was a truly rare occurrence. As far as Haley knew, they were spending Thanksgiving with Taylor who was somewhere in California (at least for the time being).

Her older brothers had already graduated college and gotten married, so they didn't really come home anymore now that their parents were always on the road. Quinn was at Brown and she spent her break in Providence, taking pictures.

So Haley and Jake did what they'd been doing for the past four years now, a quiet Thanksgiving with Jake's dad—Bob 'the Commander' Jagielski, or as Haley always called him, Mr. J.

They'd cook a turkey with all the trimmings, and Jake would make his special pumpkin pie. Normally, Ronnie—Jake's baby brother—would join them, but he had deferred college while he backpacked through Europe, and he'd yet to return home.

Haley sat at the table with Mr. J, and Jake came out holding the cooked turkey, "All right, turkey's ready. Lets say grace and down this bird."

Which they did. The picture perfect holiday: family, a home cooked meal, good conversation, and a sense of tradition. When it was time for dessert, Haley went to bring out the pie and Jake went to answer the door. They'd assumed it was Luke, right on time to stumble in a little tipsy, grab a piece of dessert, and jet off to a bar…_ Tradition_.

Jake came back in, a weird confused grin on his face, "Um, Hales, you've got a visitor…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "And it definitely ain't Luke."

Haley came out of the kitchen and furrowed her brow in surprise, "Oh, my…what are you doing here?"

The blonde girl placed a hand on her chest, "What, baby sis, are you not happy to see me?" she asked, feigning hurt.

"No, of course I am!" Haley squealed, pulling her older sister in for a hug, "But I'm surprised, I thought Columbia had you busy all throughout the weekend. So, what're you doing home, Lindsay?"

Quinn was the artist, Taylor was…_Taylor_, Haley was the good-girl-bookworm…and then there was Lindsay, the oldest of the James' girls, who'd always seemed to be a perfect combination of all of the above.

"Um, it's a long story," Lindsay said with a smile, "But I think I'm gonna hang around for a while. You got a couch for me?"

Haley blinked, "Uh…sure." She chuckled, "Always."

"Damn, Lindsay James back in town," commented Jake with a smirk, "Any chance we can get Taylor to drop in? She's always been the fun James sister."

The comment earned him and elbow to the ribs, courtesy of Haley, and a smack on the side of the head, courtesy of Lindsay. "I was kidding, babe," he said, kissing Haley, "You've always been the perfect James girl."

"Way to suck up, Jay," Lindsay smirked, "Nice to see you haven't lost that charm."

-xx-

**Friday  
Scott House—Tree Hill**

Brooke and Clay arrived at the address they had for Nate. The place was definitely crowded and for a second they wondered how they were gonna make it trough the front door—there were two goons in black suits with guest lists in hand.

But they immediately shrugged it off; talking their way into parties had always been an area of expertise for them. Brooke flashed them a pretty smile. Clay slipped them a fifty. They were inside in less than ten minutes.

"Jeez, Clay, this is a haughty party," Brooke snorted, "At least tuck your shirt in."

Clay complied, all the while scoffing, "Says she who's barefoot."

It only took a few seconds for Nate to spot them—they're kind of hard to miss because they looked disheveled even in their $5000 dollar clothes, and Clay was pulling out mini bottles of hooch from his tux's coat pocket.

"Ha-ha!" Nate laughed, throwing an arm around each of their shoulders, "The fuck are you two doin' here?"

Brooke threw her arms around his neck, wrists linking together, "We're here to party, Natie!" It was beyond obvious that the petite brunette was already a little tipsy.

His eyes shifted to Clay whose automatic response was to toss a bottle of hooch into his hands. "Don't look at me, dude. This was all Dimples' brilliant plan."

"Yes! 'Cause I wanted to see my boys, my Moody," she leaned forward to peck Nate's cheek, "And my Broody. So where's he at?"

Nate shook his head amused, "You're a little late to the party. Luke's already fled the building, gorgeous."

"Dude, what _is _this?" asked Clay, brow furrowed, as he looked around. People in suits, drinks, photographers; it was like a miniature scale of the party they just left a few states over. "It feels like this is a bad dope-trip and I haven't even taken anything."

Nate explained that this was a thing for his parents'. Lucky for them, Dan and Karen were already locked away in his studio answering questions for a reporter. Since they were now unwatched, it was a pretty safe call to sneak a few drinks.

-xx-

Peyton had come around and—oddly enough—slightly tipsy Brooke and slightly tipsy Peyton played nice with one another. Together, the very weird foursome finished Clay's stash of mini-hooch bottles.

Nate had sweet-talked Brooke out to the dance-floor were they twirled around to the beat of instrumental music. Clay and Peyton attempted small-talk, but the banter they shared before was mostly awkward now.

"Hey, dude, can we do something else?" Clay laid a hand upon Nate's shoulder, "There's only old broads here—and _not_ in a hot cougar way." Brooke and Nate rolled their eyes, "By the way, your dad's kind of an ass, and your uncle's shamelessly hitting on your mom." He added in a completely matter-of-fact tone.

"Business as usual," Nate shrugged.

Peyton cleared her throat, "Yeah," she agreed, "Bonds of holy matrimony my ass."

Clay grinned, a little impressed by the siblings' reaction. "Just when I think you live in Podunk town and that you're totally boring, you rise."

"And I want Luke!" declared Brooke out of the blue, as she pulled out her cell phone.

_**To: Luke**_

_broodster, where U at?_

The blonde's reply came back quickly and, armed with Nate and Peyton's directions, the brunette headed off to find him. They were in small-town Tree Hill, finding Luke would be way easier than finding Nemo…and she was just tipsy enough for that argument to make sense.

-xx-

Now that Brooke was gone, Karen and Dan had come out and were giving Clay a long list of questions, which he seemed to be dodging easily.

"Clay's good." Nate chuckled, "Dude's got Dan eating out of his hand."

Peyton cleared her throat, "Um, I slept with him."

Nate's eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief, "You _what_?"

"A few months back." Peyton continued, eyes forward and avoiding Nate's the entire time, "Clay and I... Anyway, it lasted, like, a week—not the stuff they write about. But, uh, he broke it off. Said that he didn't want to risk his friendship with you—that you're his brother or whatever."

Nate frowned, fists balling up. The guy had slept with and dumped his baby sister—it was practically _mandatory_ that he now kick the shit out of him.

"Don't kick the shit out him." Ordered Peyton, finally turning to look up at him, "I wasn't heartbroken and it wasn't like anyone took advantage. Besides, you're his family… And he's yours—especially now with the way you and Luke keep circling each other. I know things with you and Clay have been tense and that's my fault, so I just wanted to come clean and make sure you two fixed things."

With a sigh, Nate put his arm around her shoulders. After all, she did make a good point. Clay was his family—his brother, someone who had his back, which he didn't really have with Luke. "And he didn't hurt you or anything—you're _good_?"

"I'm _good_. I am staying positive. I'm reading _The Secret_. Sending good vibes into the universe and all that crap." Peyton joked with a smile, "But I do appreciate the protective big brother routine. It's been a while since we've done that… Don't tell anyone I told you about Clay and me. It was supposed to stay in the vault."

Nate raised an eyebrow, "Well, who else knows?"

"Clay told Brooke 'cause—"

"—they tell each other everything."

"Exactly. And Hales knows, too." She shrugged a shoulder, "And she checked in on me everyday for, like, a week making sure everything was okay."

Nate scrunched up his nose, "Wait—how'd Hales know?"

"It's _Haley_…she always knows. You know she's got ways." Peyton sighed, "The point is…I wanted to tell my brother, who doesn't need to tell anyone else. Are we good? All of us, I mean."

An older coupled shuffled past them; greeting them and complementing that they looked just like their parents. The siblings exchanged the usual pleasantries and rolled their eyes once they were gone.

"Yeah, P, we're all good. And as surprised as I am to say it, so are Clay and me. I won't kick the shit out of him." Nate said with an even tone, "You know what we should do? We should—"

"—bail." Completed Peyton, "I wanna get out of here…but how exactly are we gonna do that?"

Nate's patented smirk spread across his face. "If there's one thing I know about Clay is that he's always got an out."

Or, in this case, a fully stocked limo with a driver who was paid to drive them wherever Clay asked.

Back to Duke it was…

-xx-

**Friday  
River Court—Tree Hill**

Squinting, Brooke checked the faded directions that Peyton had drawn on her hand with a BIC pen. "Left on…Peach Street and…straight to the River Court…" she repeated, reading off her palm.

Walking around in a strange town didn't really bother her, she was from New York—walking and hailing cabs was in her nature. And, oddly enough, the curly blonde's directions were good. Five minutes later she spotted her broody blonde shooting hoops in the middle of an empty basketball court.

Brooke carefully sneaked up behind him, and covered his eyes. Curvaceous lips covered in MAC gloss neared the brooder's ear and whispered, "Guess who?" Her voice raspy and sultry—just like Luke liked it. His hands immediately fumbled the ball, and for a second the sound of it bouncing of the cement court over the breeze.

It was a voice he indubitably recognized, it was permanently imprinted in his mind. But it couldn't be. She was in New York…

"No way…" he whispered, leaning his head back, taking in her scent. His hands traveled to his face and covered hers, slowly pulling them away and turning around.

The corners of his lips immediately curved up into a smile. Strong arms circled her petite waist, lifting her off the ground as he crashed her lips against hers. He could immediately taste the alcohol in her breath, but that only spurred him on; as if he could get drunk off her.

"I'm not even gonna ask what you're doing here," he muttered against her lips, parting from them to catch his breath.

She only laughed and twirled around, looking like a princess in her silver dress. "We should go out." She declared with an unusual amount of certainty, "Get drunk."

Luke's hands now rested on her waist, and he smirked, "You're already drunk, Cheery."

"Fine. I will concede you that point." Brooke giggled, "Lets get drunker…_er_."

His blue eyes sparkled, "My dad is gonna be pissed." And by pissed he meant fucking furious—Dan would probably clobber him if went out to get drunk on Thanksgiving, _after_ leaving the party.

Brooke lips pursed in an irresistible pout, her hazel piercing his with an almost wicked flicker in them. And then she asked: "Am I not worth it?" Emotional blackmail always worked wonders for her, not that he really needed it with him.

Luke chuckled, "Alright." He caved, "One question: how are we going to find an open bar in Tree Hill?"

Brooke entered a new fit of giggles, causing her stunning dimples to become even more pronounced. "I'm Brooke Davis." She said with a seriousness that seemed to imply that her name was the answer to all of life's questions.

And in this case it was, Brooke Davis never had trouble finding an open bar that was more than willing to serve her –even in Podunk Tree Hill.

-xx-

**Friday  
Blue Post—Tree Hill**

Luke wasn't sure why he was surprised. Of course she'd find a bar in his hometown that he knew nothing about. She'd ordered them up two beers of whatever was on tap, and he happily sipped his as he watched her circle the pool table an extreme focus before sinking ball after ball with ease.

Luke smirked, obviously impressed and surprised by the tiny brunette's skills.

Brooke Davis looked completely harmless—perfect smile, warm hazel eyes, and a natural grace…no one really expected her to be a pool shark. She smiled her dimpled smile, winking at him before leaning over the table to sink another ball, "I don't know why this surprises you. You've seen me play before, right?"

"From a distance." Luke answered, "I didn't know you could _actually_ shoot pool."

Brooke licked her lips, grinning with that devilish charm of hers. "There's a lot you don't know about me." she said, attempting to be mysterious.

The brooding blonde raised an eyebrow in interest, curiosity getting the best of him. "Really? Like what?"

"Like…" Brooke paused to sink yet another ball. "I love it in the summer when there's heat lightning at night. And up until the fourth grade I called squirrels '_squillers_'." Luke chuckled, watching as she bent over the table and taking full advantage of the view and silently thanking whoever made the cleavage of that dress. "And I _love_ beating boys at pool."

And he can't help but smile at her cocky tone, because everything about her makes him smile even if he doesn't want to. "Oh, my God! A smile? I forgot you had another face besides brooding."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I smile." He assured her matter-of-factly, "But, uh, only you can make me smile while whooping my ass."

Brooke quirked her eyebrows and stared at him curiously, "Oh my g–are you _flirting_ with me?" she sniggered, "You've never done _that_ before."

Luke only shrugged, and racked them up again. They kept on playing for a few hours, Brooke making herself a home in the bar, ordering drink after drink until Luke was even more wasted than she was.

"So, we having fun?"

"Mm-hmm." He said nodding happily. "I'm glad we did this. And I'm _really_ glad you showed up, I really needed something to take the edge off my dad's stupid party."

"Good. So, what's your take on tattoos?"

"I don't know." Luke shrugged, not really seeing the point of the non-sequitur. He knew Brooke had a little Chinese symbol tattooed on her right hip—he'd had plenty of close-ups of it. "It depends."

He felt her gaze zoom in on him, that mischievous flicker back. "_C'mere_." Brooke grabbed his hand, leading him away from the pool tables and pulling into a secluded corridor in the back of the bar. She didn't feel like having the bartender or the freaks who lived in the bar stools staring at them.

Brooke leaned against the brick wall, the cold sending chills down her exposed back, and she hiked her silver dress up just enough so that her tattoo was visible. Luke's gulp was much more louder than he thought it'd be as he watched her lean legs slowly appearing from under the dress, and he got instantly hard when he saw that she had on that lacy black thong he liked to take off with his teeth. "I've never asked you what you think of mine."

His navy-blue irises lifted to her face slowly, he made sure to take in every inch of her gorgeous body before finally meeting her hazel eyes. "It's fucking sexy."

"Right answer." And she kissed him, slowly at first, wanting to take her time. But it's him who immediately makes it more aggressive, delving his tongue into her mouth, running his hands through her face, cupping the back of her head, his fingers tangled up in a mess of chocolate locks.

Brooke returned in kind, her hands gripping his back for support, her dainty hands clutching to his shoulders and her nails clawing down when she just couldn't restrain herself any longer.

But she pulled away when she felt his hands starting to slide her underwear. Normally she'd be the first one getting naked, but she wanted to do something different tonight. "Easy, Cowboy." She said getting a hold on the blonde's expert hands. "I'm in the mood for a little something different tonight… _Then_ you can claim your prize."

Luke groaned; he wanted to take her right then and there. But when Brooke wanted to play, there really was no saying 'no'. Instead, he only groaned once more, "What do ya want me to do?"

-xx-

Brooke made him carry her out of the bar and all the across the empty streets. She wouldn't tell him the exact address so she shouted directions at him every few blocks—Turn right! Turn left! Trot around in a fucking circle…her wish was his command. Finally, they stopped in front of the only shop that still had its lights on. A big fluorescent sign on top read '_Iggy's Tat Parlor_'.

"We're here!" she announced once they were inside. Brooke was now drunker…er (just like she wanted), barefoot (she'd lost her Manolos somewhere along the way), and piggybacking Luke (because she was tired). "Down, down!" the brunette ordered seriously. And Luke obeyed, setting her onto her feet carefully.

The brunette walked over to the counter where a guy with purple hair stared at her curiously. "Hey, you Iggy?" asked Brooke easily, as if she'd known the guy her entire life and hadn't just walking in there at random.

"I am."

"Excellent." Brooke giggled, clapping her hands excitedly just like a little girl, "He needs a tattoo!" she pointed to Luke who stood there awkwardly, hands buried deep in his suit's pant's pocket. "I know just the one he wants."

"Alright," Iggy got off his stool and walked around the counter, "C'mon, Romeo, lets get you tatted up."

Luke took a step back, "Whoa!" he let out a breath. Taking a second to think it over. Brooke was still giggling like she was at the beginning of this ridiculous idea, and he was beginning to feel like he was getting swindled with the promise of sex.

But now that the haze of the beer was slowly clearing from his head, multiple thoughts began coming to him at once: Brooke was branding him permanently; if Dan was gonna clobber him before he'd definitely kill him now; was he really a tattoo kind of guy? That shit was for life…

And then Brooke smiled—not devilish or as an attempt to coerce him—just because she was happy and weirdly excited by the idea of him getting a stupid Chinese symbol of his own.

Luke only shrugged a shoulder, shaking his head. "I swear to God you, Brooke Davis, will be the death of me."

"Maybe." She conceded, her dainty hands caressed his cheek softly bringing forth a heath that surged throughout both of their bodies. Increasing when she nibbled on his ear before whispering, "_But can you think of a better way to go_?"

The blonde surrendered with a sigh and unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off to reveal his right shoulder. "Tat me up, Iggy."

Iggy brought out the tattoo gun and Luke rolled his eyes.

He'd always hated needles.

_Happy-fucking-Thanksgiving…_


	16. Don't Need Another Perfect Line

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: I know this is a **_**lot**_** late, but there was a sudden death in the family and I've been back at home for the past few weeks –my laptop left behind. It sucks, but being the glass-half-full guy that I am, at least that's is the kind of family emergency that only happens once so there's that. (Yes, I make slightly inappropriate comments. It's how I deal with stress related situations). Really sorry this is late (and kind of filler), but MEGA PUMPED that everyone liked the last chapter. Read on, dudes. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Don't Need Another Perfect Line_

-xx-

**Saturday  
River Court –Tree Hill**

-xx-

Luke checked his watch. It was 3:30am –technically Saturday. He'd missed the entire party at his house and now Thanksgiving was officially over. He wasn't really sure what they would do once the sun came up. As per usual, he was sure Nate or Peyt would cover for him –whenever either sibling bailed on something, the others would fill in the gap. It was a system they'd honed well to deal with their parents' prohibitions back in high school.

Luke was lying on the hood of his Jeep wearing only his Calvin Klein boxer briefs. This had officially become a shitty idea. Sure, Brooke had held up her end of the bargain (mind blowing sex, and inventive, too. Turns out doing it on the hood of a car is a little trickier than doing it in the backseat), but he was freezing his ass off and his shoulder still felt a little sore from the fucking tattoo –some sort of ancient Chinese symbol that supposedly meant '_fun_'.

Meanwhile, Brooke was warm and comfy next to him in his shirt, with his coat. And if she didn't look so fucking hot in his clothes, if she were any other girl, he would've taken them back already.

After five more minutes, Luke groaned, "Brooke, c'mon. We aren't gonna see any planes flying over here." Some B.o.B song –_Airplanes_, with that Paramore chick –had come up on the radio earlier, and Brooke had immediately decided that making a wish on an airplane as it flew over them would bring them some good luck…but that was two hours ago and now it just seemed stupid.

"Maybe you just need to have a little faith."

The blonde held back a scoff. Brooke Davis was quite possibly the most faithless girl he'd ever met –she was mistrustful and believed in nothing and no one. If it weren't so pathological he'd have found it cute. "Whatever."

And whether it was blind luck or chance or the fact that she was Brooke Davis and things just seemed to naturally fall together for her (every-_fucking_-time), a few minutes later a plane flew over the River Court.

Naturally, she squealed. Kicking and giggling like an excited five-year-old, and slapping his chest over and over and over again. Then she stilled and quieted down. Her eyes fluttered closed and she laid there in complete silence until the sound of the plane stopped.

"What'd you wish for?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Did you have no childhood? Don't you know that if I tell you, it won't come true?"

"Of course, the official make-a-wish-on-an-airplane rule book," Luke rolled his eyes, "How could I have forgotten that?"

"Sarcasm _really_ doesn't look good on you."

Luke sat up and jumped down from the hood of the car, "Whatever." He repeated with the same monotone voice as he'd done before (Brooke was beginning to find it annoying). "Can we get back into the car now? Its fuckin' cold and this became completely pointless about, oh, _two hours ago_."

"Fine, _asshat_, what do you suggest we do?"

"Don't know," he shrugged, "We could play a game of one-on-one," Brooke raised an eyebrow, as if to say '_in your dreams'_, and he smirked, "Or something else."

"We can go to the beach," Brooke suggested with a smile –she'd always loved the water, the sand, the smell of the ocean breeze, "Camp out there until we have to go back to school on Monday."

"Hmm…my parents actually have a beach house there." Luke replied, "So we don't really have to camp out."

She skipped off the hood and landed gracefully on the River Court, the cement floor cold under her bare feet, "Well, there ya go. Plan made. You driving or am I?"

"My Dad will kill–"

"–and I thought we'd already established I'm worth dying for." She interrupted with her usual air of cockiness. "C'mon. Don't be such a Daddy's Boy."

Luke arched an eyebrow –he wasn't a Daddy's Boy, not anymore. "Wiseass."

"Maybe." Brooke said, lifting the large shirt to reveal her naked butt, "But you love my ass."

The brooding blonde didn't even bother to come up with a retort. He loved every inch of that perfect body and spending a few days with her on the empty beach house sounded fucking brilliant.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Tree Hill**

"Dude!" exclaimed Nate, impressed, "This is a nice fuckin' ride!" The back of the limo was fairly large. Each of them was spread out on the couch-like seats. "How'd you score a limo?"

Clay sighed, "Borrowed it." Nate arched his eyebrows in disbelief, and Peyton glanced at him curiously. "Um," he stuttered for a second, finally reaching under the seat to pull out his secret stash. Sure, the limo belonged to his father (as did everything Clay had), but he always liked to be prepared. "We still have a while before we get back. I say we party."

Peyton grabbed one of the bottles of champagne off his hands, shaking it. "I agree," she burst out laughing when the cork popped off, hitting the roof of the limo and rolling under a seat.

The golden liquid now spilling over her fingers, she shook the bottle harder and sprayed Clay with the contents that were spilling out.

Clay shook his head in an attempt to rid his hair of bubbles and clear the liquor off his eyes. "You are so dead!" He proclaimed, pouncing on top of her and wresting her for the bottle. At first surprised that he remembered her tickle spots so well, but then immediately backing off not wanting to upset Nate.

Nate just grabbed the bottle and took a long pull. "Damn. This is the good shit, man." He chuckled, "_Now_ it's a party."

-xx-

**Durham**

The rest of the ride went by in a daze. Two empty bottles of champagne, five little vodka bottles that were left in the mini-bar, and a shit load of mini bags of pretzels and chips. (All of it possibly the most high-end buzz that Peyton and Nate had ever had, which was what Clay was aiming for.)

They pull up on a Seven-Eleven in search of more grub. Peyton grabbed a ton of Red-Bulls (god know why, though –like they needed to be drunk _and_ hyper), a few bottles of Vitamin Water (because its better to keep hydrated as you drink), and beer, of course. Clay and Nate picked out the snacks, an assortment of Cheetos and various Pringles flavors.

"Dude, c'mon," Clay elbowed Nate and nodded towards the register, "We gotta pay. Whatcha got there?"

Nate raised the cardboard box. "Cupcakes," The ones with the white swirl across them. (Plenty of memories in the Sigma Chi couch drinking Coronas and downing those –good times.)

"Brooke's favorites." Stated Clay knowingly. "Dude, don't go there. She likes Luke-ass –god knows why, though. But I know Dimples, and it'll take something pretty big for those to two to pack it in."

Nate looked up, his blue eyes meeting Clay's, "Or something pretty small –Luke's always had way too short a fuse."

Clay raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Look, for what its worth, I think she'd be better off with you…but its not our choice." They both smirked and shrugged, realizing that neither would ever get the attraction Brooke had for the broody blonde. "C'mon, lets go pay and get the fuck outta here."

The driver dropped them off on Greek Row. Clay did his thing and slipped him a couple of hundreds to keep tonight's escapade quiet from his father. But then they wondered what they'd do for the rest of the night?

At that moment, elaborate fireworks lit up the sky right over the Phi Delta house. The three shared a single thought…

Left Behind Party it is.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Scott Beach House –Tree Hill**

Brooke walked back into the bedroom, still wearing only one of Luke's old t-shirts (just as she'd been doing since yesterday). "This is _so_ good." She mumbled, spoon still in her mouth and a pint of ice-cream in her other hand. "Who even knew Starbucks _made_ ice-cream?"

"Starbucks makes everything." Replied Luke, slipping one hand behind her knee and tripping her on top of him. This is what they'd been doing since yesterday –having sex on every surface of the house and eating all the ice-cream that was in the fridge.

Brooke sat up, he feet curled up under her, "Well, my complements to whoever stocked up your fridge –there's only ice-cream and candy in that kitchen."

"Peyton. When it's sweets it means that she was the last one here." Explained Luke, "Nate leaves behind milk and…Hersheys –don't even wanna know off of who he licks that off. My parents leave behind scotch and gin."

She raised a perfect chocolate eyebrow daringly, "And what are _we_ gonna leave behind?" questioned Brooke, straddling him and raising her arms over her head. Luke immediately complied with he silent request and slid the t-shirt off.

His hands ran along her torso –wanting to touch every inch of her – her porcelain skin warm under his touch. Navy-blue eyes never looking away from hazel eyes, he leaned forward planting a trail of wet kisses from her breasts to her navel, running his thumb over her tattoo.

Brooke grinded down against him, the mischievous smirk on her ruby red lips never faltering. The blonde moaned, thrusting upwards and into her. Normally they'd have more foreplay but he'd been watching her walk around half-naked with a bottle of whipped cream in her hand for the past few hours and he'd been hard ever since.

Huh. That's what they'd leave behind. A few empty cans of whipped cream and an empty box of Trojans.

The brunette threw her head back, "Jeez…" she breathed out heavily, "Give a girl a little warning."

And the way she bit her lower lip, attempting and epically failing at suppressing a moan, the way her breath hitched, only served to spur him on.

Perfect way to spend Thanksgiving weekend.

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

They'd arrived back at Duke on Monday night, both still wearing Friday's party clothes, but neither really caring –they'd spent most of the weekend naked, anyways.

"Hmm…I really did think we'd get to see just a little bit more of the beach," Brooke pouted.

Luke chuckled, "Yeah, well, sand gets lodged in some very uncomfortable places –especially with the activities you were so desperate engage in."

"Yes. Because between you and I, I'm the horndog who can't contain herself."

He slapped her ass, "Usually." With that, he left and Brooke let herself inside. The apartment was oddly dark, she'd assumed Haley would've been back by now and, even if she hadn't, Rachel should've been there.

Turning on the nearest light, the brunette walked into the seemingly empty living room. She smiled to herself when she spotted a head of blonde hair peeking from under the blankets on the couch.

"Sleepy-head," she called out, shaking her and eliciting no response. "I'm back. Hey! C'mon. Get up or I'm gonna sit on you." Brooke stated matter-of-factly as she sat on her, "See, now you're–"

Brooke got cut off by a scream. The girl was now sitting up on the couch and she was definitely not Haley. "The fuck!" she yelled, jumping up and placing a hand on her chest. "You're not Hales."

"Yeah, well, neither are you…" The blonde girl sat up, rubbing her back, "And you're not as light as you look, either."

They exchanged puzzled looks. Brooke found her face strangely familiar. "Wait, I've seen you in the pictures in Haley's room. You're…one of the sisters."

"Lindsay." The blonde replied with a nod, "And you must be the roommate?"

With a dimpled smile, she nodded, "Brooke, yeah," she introduced herself, "Lindsay…you're the big one, the one who's at Columbia, right?"

"Except for the part about me being at Columbia…yep, that's pretty much it."

The front door opened and Jake walked in holding a few bags, Clay following close behind with Haley thrown over his shoulder. "Put me _down_, Evans! I swear to god–"

"–hey!" Clay grinned widely, plopping Haley down on the nearest armchair as if she were a bag. "Dimples is back! Where'd you disappear to? We tried calling you before leaving Tree Hill."

Haley stood up, kicking Clay in the shin, "You moron!"

"Always such a sweetheart," smirked Lindsay.

"Right," Haley rolled her eyes, "Linds, this Clay –he bums around here a lot because he's a pain in the ass and has nowhere else to hang out. And Clay, this is my sister, Lindsay –she is off limits so don't even _think_ about it, manwhore."

Everyone chuckled at the introduction and Jake tossed Lindsay a pillow and some new sheets, which she started using to set up the bed. Clay had come to find Brooke, and then the threesome had gone out shopping.

Rachel was at the Sig house 'bonding with her new bestie, Owen' according to Clay, she'd supposedly spent the entire weekend with him, which Brooke still didn't really believe.

Jake left pretty quickly after that, he wanted to make sure his room was intact after the weekend-long party. Hales and Lindsay went off to get some take-out for the night and Brooke and Clay stayed behind to hang.

She filled him up on the vague details of her weekend –hanging out at the beach, and branding Luke (Clay laughed, remembering the night they'd gotten wasted in Times Square and got their tattoos –Brooke, the Chinese symbol on her right hip, and Clay, Sanskrit on his shoulder blade.)

A while later the conversation had veered into somewhat deeper territory –like Clay's former thing with Peyton (and how awkward the party was), and his now ongoing thing with Rachel (who'd had an ongoing thing with Nate), why he thought she was out of her fucking mind for continuing to see Luke (aka the Caveman who liked to punch things –'he thinks he's motherfucking Bam-Bam') and finally they landed on Nate (because he and Luke always seemed to come hand in hand) and why she needed to stop avoiding him and just talk to him.

Sometimes it seemed that only Clay (and Rachel) spoke Brooke-talk. And that brunette only listened to reason when it came in the shape of Clay Evans or Rachel Gatina –it seemed contradictory that those two would ever be the voice of reason for anyone, much less Brooke.

-xx-

**Monday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke stood outside the all too familiar bedroom door. There were matching Batman and Superman's plates on the door, each reading Nate's room and Clay's room, respectively. She'd gotten those for them on the day they officially moved into the Sig house.

Then she walked in, Brooke Davis had never been one for knocking –especially on a room that felt so much like her own as that one did (and does).

Nate was sprawled on his bed, skimming a Sports Illustrated, iPod on at full volume. She could hear some OneRepublic song whose name escaped her at the moment blaring through 'em.

Grabbing one of Clay's mini-soccer balls, she hurled it at him. Nate sat up, taking the headphones up. "Davis." He smirked, "Color me surprised 'cause I _really_ didn't expect to see you here."

"This is the Sigma Chi house. When am I _not_ here?"

He shook off the urge to say 'when you're with Luke', and shrugged, "Good point. What can I do ya for, Sunshine?"

"Just thought I'd come by to talk," Brooke shrugged, sitting across from him on the bed, "Still keep a stash of my favorite cupcakes around?" she asked hopefully.

Nate quirked an eyebrow before opening a drawer on the nightstand and pulling out the unopened box, "Don't I always got your back?"

A dimpled smile lit up her face as she took the cupcake he handed her and clunked them together. "Cheers." She winked, as she took a bite.

Memories of a box of cupcakes, a bottle of Absolut, a Spanish textbook (though she and Clay usually used a Latin one), all of which equaled a very weird drinking game, flooded through them and they laughed.

"I don't want this to go away, Nate." Brooke stated seriously. This is home for me, and you are my best friend –my partner for all of my crazy ideas and half-assed plans. No matter what it is, you're always the first one to sign up for whatever…"

"'Cause I know if you're involved its bound to be entertaining." Nate replied, his tone earnest. He'd never been the one with all the perfect lines, that had always been Luke's thing. But he always aimed for honesty and that was usually enough. "Life's always more interesting with you in it."

Brooke's glanced away from him; his blue eyes seemed to be begging for her to look at them. "Remember the first few weeks of freshman year? I was basically homeless and even though I barely knew you–"

"–You crawled into bed with me in my dorm and cuddled up to me because I was snuggly."

Brooke laughed, "And you complained that you were not snuggly. You were 'ripped'."

"Still am."

She moved and laid down next to him, his arm automatically coming down around her shoulder –just like they'd always done before. "I've missed this, Nate."

"Yeah. I've missed this, too."

"I just…I don't want us to change, you know?" she licked her lips, now both of them stared at the ceiling in a daze. "But I get it if you want me to back off."

Nate smirked and Brooke could feel him smirking even though she wasn't looking at him, "I've never wanted you to back off, B. You know that." And after a few beats he asked, "Are you staying here tonight, then?"

"Hmm. Depends," She said, pretending to think about it, "Will you sing me my song?"

He chuckled, when had he ever said no to Brooke? "Right." he scoffed. "_The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. And I hung my head and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._" They both laughed and Brooke nudged him to finish it, "_You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away._"

Ever since that one drunken karaoke night at Al's, where he lost a game of Quarters and ended up going on stage, Brooke had deigned that this be her song and that he sing it to her on-demand whenever she had trouble falling asleep. Clay had declared that only a pair as tone-deaf as that could find Nate's incredibly off-pitch voice soothing.

"Thank you, Natie."

Nate smiled, "Anytime, Sunshine."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Duke University**

Luke walked into the cafeteria and got his usual morning Cocoa Puffs/Cheerios cereal combo. He scanned the room for an empty table and smirked when he spotted a familiar curly haired girl.

"Mornin', sis." He threw his backpack on an empty chair and shrugged off his coat, revealing a sleeveless, gray Duke t-shirt.

His blonde counterpart glanced up from her Nick Hornby book, and adjusted her chin, which was resting on her hand, to stare at the mark on his arm. "What's _that_?"

"Tattoo." Luke replied, taking in a spoonful of cereal. "I got it during the weekend."

"Like, a real tattoo –it won't wash up?"

He just shook nodded. A real tattoo that wouldn't wash up. "You are permanently messed up." Peyton declared, her green eyes wide and eyebrows arched in disbelief.

Luke smirked, "I was pretty permanently messed up before." He chuckled, "C'mon, it's just a tattoo. When Nate got that ridiculous nipple ring and you gave him no grief about it."

Peyton raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Because Nate was fifteen and he could take that ridiculous thing off at any time. You…Brooke Davis has permanently branded you as another one of her boy toys and you say it's just a tattoo." She scoffed, "I sure hope all the sex you must've gotten in exchange for that was worth it. Mom and Dad are gonna blow a gasket."

"Mom and Dad don't have to know." Luke countered, "And why do you even think Brooke had anything to do with this?"

"'Cause I know you're afraid of needles." Peyton stated, "And you only ever go near a needle for two reasons: doctor's orders or it'll help you get laid –I remember when you donated blood to hook up with what's-her-name, Kate? And since you only seem to have eyes for Brooke Davis lately, I just assumed."

Luke smirked, "And here I thought you two played nice at the party on Friday."

"We were drunk."

"I like her, Peyt." Luke's navy-blue eyes met Peyton's green ones and they seemed to be having one of those weird wordless conversations. "Just don't be a bitch."

The curly haired blonde shrugged a shoulder, "I can try to play nice."

"Thank you, baby sis." Luke leaned forward and kissed her forehead, grabbing his backpack and jacket, "And don't tell Mom and Dad about the tattoo."

Peyton only nodded and waved him goodbye. Right. Like she'd want to be there when that bomb exploded.


	17. Better A Broken Nose Than A Broken Heart

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, hopefully this is up a little faster than the last one. There's gonna be some drama brewing soon, but I'm still figuring it all out (sorry in advance for the lack of Brucas in this chapter, it's a filler). Major shout out to all the usual reviewers 'cause you're awesome and welcome to all the new readers, I'm glad you enjoy the story. Read on, Dudes. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Better A Broken Nose Than A Broken Heart_

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

It appeared that every surface of the now seeming all-too-small apartment was covered in textbooks and notebooks. It was now what was probably the most dreaded part of the semester… Midterms.

Clay was sprawled on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, and lightly snoring with an open notebook on his face. Rachel grabbed the book nearest to her and threw it at his head, "Your stupid snoring is distracting me!"

"Where the fuck's Jake with the coffee?" shrieked Brooke, "I'm, like, dying here. I haven't slept in days!"

Haley raised an eyebrow, never looking away from the MacBook Pro on her lap. "If you'd studied throughout the semester instead of five days before midterms, you'd be much more rested."

Nate, Clay, Brooke and Rachel paused and looked up to glare at the honey-blonde. Haley always aced midterms, never sweated it out like the rest of them. (And they weren't allowed to tell her off because she took at least one class with each of them and she withheld her notes if they were mean to her).

"Right, so just invert those and subtract them from this side, and then substitute the results in the final equation." Explained Rachel offhand.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "God! Will you _stop_ talking to me like I can understand everything you're explaining! Just break it down for me."

"Well, when I did that before you complained that I was talking down to you –make up your freaking mind already!"

Both females let out piercing shrieks of frustration. "You should have Nate help you out." Suggested Haley, "He's a total idiot savant when it comes to numbers. Even helped me ace my Calc final senior year."

"Yeah, key word being idiot." Quipped Nate with a smirk.

"C'mon, Natie!" Brooke pleaded with the puppy-dog eyes, "I'm drowning here, Rachel's the worst tutor ever, and I _need_ to pass this class."

Nate moved up to sit next to the brunette, "Alright, lemme check this out… Okay, this is actually pretty easy," he grabbed a blank piece of paper and scribbled something down, "So, this is the formula. All you gotta do is sub in the values and you're done."

"Well, what about all that other crap Rae said?"

"That's the long way to do it." he said, preparing a new example for Brooke to try on her own, "This is faster and easier, just memorize the formula and you'll be fine."

"I did it!" Brooke squealed, jumping up to hug Nate, "It worked! Where'd you learn that?"

Nate only shrugged as he patted circles on her back, "I'm a physics major this semester. No big deal, B."

"Very big deal, actually," scoffed Rachel, "I've been trying to explain that to her for over an hour. Nicely done, Moody."

The last couple of weeks had been a beer-filled haze of nights out on the town and Greek Row parties, but now the fun was over. Midterms were upon them (all the studying they'd been slacking off on all semester finally catching up to them), and then came Christmas break (which now seemed to be taking forever to get there).

Jake had finally arrived with the coffee (all plain regular coffees, since he claimed he wasn't willing to occupy brain space with everyone's very specific caffeine needs right now), and half an hour after that, Clay announced that he was done and that he was going to raid the Sigma Chi test archives for 'study guides' (bringing back tests for everyone, subjects ranging from psychology to poli-sci to econ).

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Sigma Chi House**

Peyton was headed over to the _ΣX_ house to pick up some papers from Nate. (Swapping notes during midterms was always a bitch.) She parked her Comet in front of the house, and stopped when she saw Clay come out. He was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only a pair of shredded Reebok soccer shorts. A man in a suit shook his hand and handed him a manila envelope, then he drove off.

Oddly enough, as he stood there shirtless and squinting his eyes under the early morning sun, she first allowed herself to realize that she actually did kind off missed having him around and all his snarky comments.

Upon seeing her, Clay flashed her his million-dollar grin, flawless as always. "Hey, Green-Eyes," he greeted easily, "You're up early,"

"So are you." she countered, "And that was a guy in a very expensive suit and an even more expensive car. You in trouble or something?"

Clay shook his head, "Nah, that was just…my mother's lawyer." He glanced down at the envelope in his hands once more, "He was dropping something off."

"What, your mom suing you for something?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow.

"Hardly." He cleared his throat awkwardly, "She's, uh, she's dead, so..."

A hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth because she somehow always managed to find the wrong thing to say. "Shit! I am so sorry, Clay. I didn't mean…"

"Its fine." He said with a slightly sad smile, "It happened a long time ago so…" he let his voice trail off, "Its fine. Anyway, um, Karl, the lawyer, just needed to drop something off. And this officially completes all of her transactions so…I probably won't be seeing him again."

Peyton nodded, her hand still covering her mouth, "Right. Sorry, again. Um, I'm just gonna go up to Nate's room–"

"–which is also my room."

"And I am just ten different kinds of stupid today." She chuckled nervously, "So I'm gonna go now."

Clay couldn't help but to laugh at how embarrassed she was, "Relax, Peyt," he said, grinning, "Um, Nate didn't spend the night here, and I'm up already so…feel free to go grab whatever you need from his room, and, I don't know, you can stay for some breakfast –and by breakfast I mean stale Cheerios and some questionable OJ."

Peyton nodded, and headed upstairs. But she stopped and turned around, "Funny, isn't it?"

"What's that?"

She shrugged a shoulder casually, "That we actually end up being sort-of friends."

"Sort-of friends it is, then." He grinned.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Duke University**

After what felt like forever, they were finally on their last midterm. The whole gang – Brooke, Nate, Luke, Rachel, Clay, Jake, Haley, and Peyton – took the same Lit class (which was definitely supposed to be an easy A for everybody).

Haley was compulsively going over her index cards of notes, muttering to herself. Clay and Nate smirked because she looked just a little bit crazy. Brooke had stolen Luke's book out of his hands and was reading over the little post-it notes he had every few pages (while she didn't mind scribbling down her thoughts on the margins, he didn't like to write on his books).

They'd been holed up in the brooder's room for the last few days studying up for this (though they really didn't need to, they'd both read Kerouac before and knew it from cover to cover). Luke leaned forward and tried to yank it away, but she slapped his hands away. "C'mon! I'm not done going over those!"

"Boyfriends _share_, jackass!" stated Brooke with a giggle. "Don't be a bully!"

Luke smirked, arching an eyebrow, "Oh, I'm a jackass?"

"_And_ a bully." She laughed again, handing him back the book, "And I'm done now, so thank you."

He smiled, "Anytime, Pretty Girl."

The test had been pretty easy (multiple choice, with three essay questions), even Nate and Clay (who never read anything except Cliff Notes) managed to answer everything pretty good.

Brooke and Luke were the first to finish it, much to everyone's surprise, and they headed out together, his arm lazily thrown around her shoulder.

"So, where to now?"

Brooke pouted in thought for a second, "We can go to your house?" she suggested, "I still owe Sammy and Mattie a game of Xbox. Or we can go back to my place, but one of Hales' sisters is there so we're not gonna have it to ourselves." She shrugged, "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"I say we do none of the above and go to my car," he smirked.

Brooke smirked back at him, "I like that plan."

-xx-

**Monday  
Sigma Chi House**

While most of the Sig Boys had decided to head off to party (Al's was having happy hour in honor of midterms ending, and the Pi Sigs threw a kegger because…well, because it was Monday), Brooke, Rachel, Clay, Jake and Haley had decided to stay in, for once feeling too worn out to go trekking till the wee hours of the morning. Besides, Brooke felt the beginning of a cold coming on, and her voice was even raspier than usual.

Jake expertly strummed his guitar with all the confidence of a full-blow rockstar (it often surprised everyone that the boy had decided to pursue a career in law instead of a career in music, which always seemed to be more of his passion). Haley was standing behind him, right hand clutching the neck of a nearly empty Corona, and left hand around Jake's chest as she sang along to the beat her boyfriend provided.

Clay was in the opposite corner to them, sitting in front of a red Yamaha drum set, banging on them as he shook his head in time with the pulsing of the drums and hummed the melody of the lyrics enthusiastically.

Brooke and Rachel whooped and clapped when they ended the Bon Jovi song. "Now, as awesome as that rendition of _It's My Life_ was, I need something I can dance to, Jaglieski –something with a beat." Demanded Rachel seriously.

"Yes, Jay-Jay, we know you're a rock god," reiterated Brooke, "But how about you drop it like it's hot or something."

The Twisted Sisters (as Jake had so kindly dubbed them) had been passing around a now half empty bottle of José Cuervo all night long.

A gruff laughter echoed from the brunette's throat as his girlfriend tousled his hair playfully, encouraging him to play another song for them. Music had always been a '_cute Jaley thing_', as Brooke put it. "As the ladies wish," he conceded, nodding to Clay, "Try to keep up, Evans."

Jake improvised a few guitar strains, skillfully strumming out Cobra Starship's _Hot Mess_ in his acoustic Gibson guitar, the melody sounding even better when Clay joined in with the drum beat. The noise of the instruments reverberated, bouncing off from wall to wall, and filling the empty house.

The redhead and brunette jumped off the couch and immediately provided back-up vocals along with Haley, who was already past tipsy with a few beers in her –which only proved that she _really_ was relieved to have the semester be over, Haley James hated beer.

_You were a problem child. Been grounded your whole life so now you're running wild. Playing with them good girls, no, that ain't your style. You think you're hot shit, and cool. I love it, I love it. Yeah-yeah. Stumbling, but, yeah, you're looking hella fine. Keep doin' what you're doin' and Imma make you mine!_

They moved rhythmically and in time, and it was enough to make anyone dizzy. The expert sway of their hips was practically enthralling and the pair seemed to be oblivious to the fact –it was times like those that it was obvious why Brooke and Rachel were the natural center of attention at every party, every bar, every single place they set foot upon.

The bottle of José Cuervo passed from Brooke's hand to Rachel's, who immediately took a swig, as they climbed up on the living room table, kicking off a stack of magazines. Clay whooped loudly when Brooke slapped the redhead's ass playfully.

"Now _this_ is a party." Said Nate, smirk in place, as he discarded his backpack to a corner of the room.

The girls squealed in excitement, "Natie, you made it! Whoo!" declared Brooke in an odd screechy yet raspy voice.

"I made it!" he replied, pumping a fist into the air, mocking their enthusiasm.

"Nate!" – "Natie, come here. Come on." – "Natie!" – "Nate, c'mon!" They beckoned him over adamantly.

The raven-haired boy wasted no time in complying with the request, jumping up on the table and taking a long pull off the tequila bottle and feeling the golden liquid scorch as it make its way down his throat. Rachel grinned, impressed, "Look at Moody knock it back!"

_Well, you're a Hot Mess, and I'm fallin' for you! And I'm, like, hot damn, lemme make you my boo! 'Cause you can shake it, shake it, shake it –Yeah, you know what to do. You're a Hot Mess! I'm lovin' it, hell yes!_

Nate was now sandwiched in between them on the table; Rachel pressed against his back, and Brooke pressed against his chest, and they were rubbing themselves up and down against him.

He threw one arm around Brooke's shoulder, and another around Rachel's waist. To any other guy at Duke that would've been heaven, and Nate was definitely enjoying it, but it was nothing new. He'd danced on plenty of bars and tabletops with them before and he'd definitely do it again.

The hours passed, the beer continued to flow, the tequila bottle was emptied, and the musical stylings of Jake, Clay and Haley carried on without interruption –it was probably their last big hangout until after the break, Christmas vacation officially started in two days.

"Whoo!" screamed Nate, "Alright, lets have a toast," he declared, "To the end of midterms –may we not suffer like this again, at least till finals."

Rachel raised her beer bottle, "And to having my Party Brooke back," she said seriously, "I've missed her since she's been all _Joanie Loves Chachi_ with Luke." she turned to face the brunette, "And here I thought you'd become irreparably boring."

"Oh, shove it, Rae!" Brooke glared.

"Anyway, my favorite Party Girl's back–"

"–Fucking finally!" interrupted Clay, bumping his beer bottle on top of Nate's, causing the beer to spill out.

Nate frowned, "Sonuvabitch!" Everyone else laughed took a pull from their bottles. "Whatever. To having my Sunshine back, and to the end of the torture known as midterms!"

"Well, hey now, not everyone's done!" added Haley, "I've still got to hand in that paper for my writing class tomorrow, so I'm not_ officially_ done."

Rachel and Brooke burst out laughing drunkenly, "Please! It's a group paper –which you wrote with Luke –and you've had your half done since the beginning of the week." Stated Rachel, "You're done!"

Haley sighed contently, "Yeah…" she knew she was getting straight A's this semester (as she did pretty much every semester). "Shit!" she said, straightening up on Jake's lap, "Luke was supposed to pick it up earlier at the apartment, but I was here!"

After a chorus of 'relax' and 'just text him', Jake picked up his guitar again and they got the music going again. Half an hour later, the threesome was back to dancing on the tabletop to the beat of Clay and Jake's music. Brooke and Rachel left the singing to Haley, their throats' soreness and their lack of pitch finally catching up to them.

Luke arrived and his eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of Brooke dancing so close to Nate on top of a fucking table. (His brain didn't even register that Rachel was right there, too.)

That would be the moment where all hell broke loose. Luke just lunched at his younger brother, fists balled up, restrained only by Jake's arms winding around his waist –thank god he'd passed up on the drinks because otherwise his reflexes would've been crap.

Still, he wasn't fast enough, and Luke managed to get one hit in –right on Nate's nose. Of course, by then, everyone had jumped up. Both Nate and Clay were ready to pounce on the blonde, held back by Rachel who had some uncanny strength for a girl that size. All the while, Haley had moved towards were Jake was still holding back Luke, working her magic and attempting to talk the brooder down like only she knew how.

Both females were beckoning Brooke over and the brunette just stood in between them, unsure of what to do. It seemed that no matter what happened, they all ended up back on the same spot: Nate and Luke wanting to beat the shit out of each other, and her somehow the cause of it all. It was beginning to take its toll.

Releasing a sigh, "Clay, c'mon," she pulled him away towards the couch and shoved him down, "This isn't about you." The male brunette reluctantly listened to what she said, and sat down.

"Your nose is bleeding, Nate," she stated matter-of-factly, wiping some of it off, "Please, just let Rae get you some ice. I can handle Luke."

Brooke walked over towards him, she appeared to have sobered up instantly. Jake and Haley moved away when she approached, and before Luke could even utter a word to explain himself, Brooke slapped him. "What the hell?" they both growled –at least they were still in sync.

-xx-

Now, over on the couch, Rachel and Haley sat next to Nate with an ice-pack and a blood stained towel. Clay stood towering in front of Luke, his scowl unfaltering as he watched Brooke, Jake and Luke argue back and forth over what had happened.

Finally he stepped in, shoving the blonde out of the way, "Man, just get the fuck out of here!" he demanded, "You've got some balls taking a swing at Nate here, in the Sig house. You've got to be off your fucking head!"

"Clay," Brooke placed a hand upon his chest, attempting to calm him down. "Nah, no way, Dimples!" the brunette shook his head, "He doesn't get to pull this shit here. I mean, he could've gotten you or Freckles, seeing as Bam-Bam here just lunched! Get him out or I will kick his ass out."

"Whoa!" Jake moved in between them preventively, "How about we cool off and no one kicks anyone's ass. Huh, how about that? Now, Clay, I'm gonna grab Luke and we're gonna go –B, can you make sure Hales gets back home in one piece?"

Brooke nodded, "Yeah."

"You're staying?" Luke scoffed in disbelief.

"No, I'm not staying! I'm taking Haley back to the apartment," she shook her head, "I don't know how to talk to you anymore."

His blue eyes pierced her hazel eyes, and they both just stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Jake tugged on Luke's arm, "Lets go, man." He said, pulling him away, sneaking a glance at Brooke, "You two can sort it out later. When…everyone's a little more sober, a little more calm."

Clay sneered as Jake lead Luke outside, "Good riddance."

Brooke glared at him, hissing, "Shut up, Clay." Which he did, they walked back to the living room, and Clay sat on the table across from the couch. Brooke only tugged at Haley's jacket, signaling to her that it was time to go. She turned to Rachel, nodding towards the door.

The redhead turned to look at Nate, silently asking him if he was okay, if it he was cool with her leaving. He only offered her a nod, and with that, she followed Brooke outside. Once they were gone, Clay leaned forward, "Is it broken, dude?" Nate only shrugged an I-don't-know shrug, "Does it _feel_ broken?"

"I don't _know_ what a broken nose feels like." Nate replied, slightly annoyed, "I've never had one."

Clay pinched the bridge of Nate's nose and he winced a little, "Well, I don't think it's broken." He announced with a fair amount of certainty.

"Well, _gee_, thanks for that careful analysis, Dr. Feelgood." Nate scoffed, "I can't believe that asshat took a swing at me. _Again_."

"Yeah," Clay only chuckled, grinning that grin of his, "Better a broken nose than a broken heart." He declared, his tone only half-kidding.


	18. Hello, Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So…this is up really late. I'm really sorry (again, I know it's a huge douche move). But it was a bitch to write this. (I must've changed it more than five times, and even so I kept tweaking it. I'm still not a hundred percent comfortable with how it turned out. In fact, I kinda don't like it) Tell me whatcha think, dudes.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Hello/Goodbye_

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Everyone in the apartment had gotten up considerably early (at least compared to the time they usually got up). It was fifteen past ten when Brooke and Rachel walked into the bathroom, still in their PJs.

They were surprised to find Haley sitting on the floor, back lying against the wall across from the toilet. Knees pressed against her chest, her elbows resting atop of them as she ran her hands through her hair. She groaned when she heard them giggle, and leaned into the toilet to throw up –_again_.

Brooke's immediate reflex was to lean over and hold her hair back (normally Jake would be there for that part, but he'd left with Luke last night). "Oh, ugh, I am never drinking any of Clay's _Jungle Juice Punch_ ever again." the honey-blonde declared weakly as she moved back into her original position against the wall.

Brooke jumped up and sat on the sink, toothbrush already in her mouth, as she extended Haley a bottle of Listerine, "Everything come out already, or do you need a little while longer?" The honey-blonde only managed a grunt in reply, taking the bottle as she buried her face on her knees.

"Well, I was gonna pee, but now its weird with Haley just _staring_ at the toilet." Commented Rachel as she picked up her own toothbrush, and moved to sit on the bathtub (they really did need a bigger bathroom –for some odd reason their morning chats always took place there). "Hey, did your sister make it back from the Dead Week Party last night?"

The bathroom door opened again and Lindsey walked in, "Barely." She answered Rachel's question. "What happened to you last night, sis?" she asked, sitting Indian style on top of the closed toilet seat.

"Jungle Juice." Replied Brooke and Rachel, followed by a weak, "_That_," from Haley.

Lindsay shrugged appreciatively, "For all her brains, Baby Sis never did learn how to handle the alcohol." She commented to no one in particular, "Seriously, though. You okay, peanut? Want me to get you some saltines or something?" she offered, reaching out to pat Haley's head softly. Her only response was another grunt.

Brooke laughed, jumping down from the sink, "It's cool, Linds. We got it. Our fault, anyways. We shouldn't have let her drink so much… Last night got way out of hand…"

"Oh…kay," the brunette's tone and distraught look indicated that she wasn't just talking about her little sister, but Lindsay didn't know her well enough to pry. "Um, anyone mind if I shower first?" All three shook their heads, Rachel got out of the bathtub, and she jumped into the shower.

Rachel and Brooke helped Haley up and parked her on the living room couch before heading into the kitchen. "So what'll be, Tutor Girl?" asked the brunette, "We've got Folgers, ginger ale, tea, or some of that weird crap Rae mixes in the blender."

"Rae's crap… And Advil…" announced Haley, "And can you throw me an ice-pack? My head feels like its on fire." She added, rubbing her temples.

The girls did as asked and Haley ended up going back to sleep right there on the couch. Rachel sat up on the kitchen island and sipped her breakfast shake, watching Brooke swirls around the Fruit Loops in her bowl. "You know, the cereal really has no answers –no matter how long you stare at it."

Brooke sighed, "Yeah, whatever," she shook her head, snapping herself out of her Fruit Loop induced trance. "Um, I'm gonna go see Clay, damage control at the Sigma Chi house."

"Make sure they're not planning on lynching Loverboy –well, is he still loverboy?" she arched her eyebrow, "Or is the Luke Experiment officially over?"

Brow furrowed, she licked her lips, "I don't know." She answered honestly, throwing her plate in the sink.

Rachel shrugged a shoulder, "You know, everyone always talks about how relationships are very complicated, but they're really not. Relationships are very simple. There are only two things that can happen. You either get married or you break up."

"Well, we're _definitely_ not getting married." Brooke automatically replied.

The redhead held back the smirk, Brooke had walked right into that one. "Then you're breaking up?"

"We're not…" Brooke sighed. She'd always hated the redhead's stupid logic, "It's…whatever, I guess."

"Avoidance is never healthy, you know!" Rachel called out over her shoulder.

"Oh, fuck off, Rae," replied Brooke with a dry tone before slamming her bedroom door shut.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Dicky's Diner**

Peyton sat on the vinyl booth, sipping from the pastel-colored coffee mug primly. Her brothers were always late –especially with anything before 12 in the afternoon.

Nate was the first to arrive, sitting across from her and immediately signaling the waitress over. "Shit! What happened to you?" asked Peyton upon seeing his face.

"Your _other_ brother," was Nate's harsh reply.

Luke arrived shortly after, face dropping at the sight of Nate. "Oh, what the hell, Peyt?" he growled. Reluctantly, he sat next to her on the booth across from Nate, "If this is some fucked up kiss-and-make-up session, I'll pass."

"Trust me, I have no intention of making up," hissed Nate almost venomously, "This is, like, the third time you've taken a swing at me –next time, I'm hitting back, ya hear."

Luke smirked, "Ooh, I'm shakin'."

Peyton watched them go back and forth for a while –watching them fight had always been amusing, but now it was growing boring. She actually longed for the days when they all got along like good kids, they were much more peaceful.

"Seriously, you two need to find something new to fight about," she said flatly, "Luke, you're not an idiot. You know Nate wouldn't make a move on your girlfriend. If you're having issues you should talk it out with her."

Nate smirked (that smirk that Luke always wanted to punch off his face, but never could). "Instead of being such a little _bitch_ and sucker punching me."

It took very little to set those two off lately. Balled-up fists pounded against the table, and the brothers' yelling filled the small diner. The waitresses had retreated to the kitchen and the only other two customers had paid up their tab and left. Peyton was actually embarrassed. She kicked Nate's shin underneath the table, and pulled Luke's ear, twisting it. They winced.

"_GOD_! Can you two just stop for a second? I get that which one of you gets to date Brooke Davis seems like the be-all end-all thing right now, but it isn't. At the end of the day, no matter what goes on with anyone else, you're still gonna be brothers. And that should mean something to both of you. We stick together –it's what we do. And right now, I need both of my big brothers to just shut up and listen to me…because I was hoping they'd help me out."

They mumbled a few grumbled, "Right" –"Sorry" –"We're listening." Let it not be said that they didn't look out for their baby sister.

"I know we're supposed to just go home for the break, just like we always do, but…I got this really awesome opportunity to join this band on tour for a few weeks, and I really want to go, but…it's gotta be like always. We all stand strong and no one goes home –Dad can't know I'm going around in a tour bus full of musicians, he'd have a cow." Peyton sighed, "Are you with me on this?" Standing up to their father had always been a team game –they always did it together.

Luke sighed, he had on his brooding pout (and Peyton knew he was considering it), "Alright," he said, "Why would I want to voluntarily submit myself to Dan's abuse? If you're not going, I'm not going."

Both siblings' eyes turned to Nate right now, he'd remained quiet throughout the entire explanation. "Aight," he let out a breath, "I'm guessing Dan's gonna die long before you two. Might as well play the long game. I'm in."

Peyton only smirked at her brother's reaction. Leave it up to Nate to say something wildly inappropriate in a complete light tone yet still be completely serious about it. "Excellent," she smiled, "So…what're you two gonna do, then?"

Luke and Nate shrugged, "I'll figure something out." They replied simultaneously. Even when they were at odds, they still remained slightly in sync (the joys of their 'twin-tuition', as Peyton always called it).

"Right. Well, anyway, thanks, guys." she said, kissing Luke's cheek and leaning over the table to hug Nate, "You're the best big brothers a girl could ask for." With that, she climbed over Luke and headed out of the dinner –she had some packing to do.

The brothers exchanged only one look and then stood up. Nate pulled out his walled and paid for what both he and Peyton had ordered. Luke only managed an acknowledging grunt before leaving the dinner.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Sigma Chi House**

For what felt like the first time all year, the guys were actually running around cleaning up and organizing the house (though it was mostly the pledges). Owen was walking around checking stuff off a list, "No one leaves here until the house is ready to be closed up, ya hear!"

Brooke laughed and jumped up to hug him. The large QB engulfed her in his arms, easily lifting her up, "Hey, O," she grinned, "How's everything coming along?"

"Pain in the ass as usual," Owen sighed, "Closing up the house is always a bitch –everybody loves to party, nobody loves to clean-up. And yet they complain if the house is a sty when they get back from break."

True that. "Well, I wish I was here to be help, but I'm actually looking for Clay. Is he around?"

Owen pointed his index finger toward the ceiling, shrugging one shoulder. "Roof." They replied in unison, laughing. Ever since he and Nate had moved into that room, they'd all spent countless hours lying on that roof, watching the stars, occasionally drinking, and shooting the shit.

Dean popped up behind them carrying a box full of empty beer bottles and cans. "Dude's always up on the freaking roof. If he wasn't my Little Brother, and if I didn't know him, I'd say the little fucker's suicidal." Owen smacked him upside the head, "Ouch! Just sayin'…"

"Go right on up, Lil' B," said Owen with a smile, before turning back to Dean, "And _you_, get the Pledges under control –they're your responsibility, Pledge Educator."

Brooke ran up the stairs (she could still hear Owen and Dean bellowing at Piz and Tim about something or other). When she walked into Clay's room the open window only confirmed her suspicion. Clay was lying on the roof, twirling something around in his fingers.

She sat down next to him and nudged him until he sat up, "What's that? A joint?" her eyebrows arched, "Where'd you get that?"

"Freckles."

Brooke laughed, "Of course!" she shook her head –Rachel was the go-to girl for any and all illegal substances. "So what's wrong? You only sit here alone," –with a face bordering on brooding, which she _really _didn't want to see right now– "when you've got something on your mind."

"I got my trust fund." He stated matter-of-factly. "Lawyer came over last week. The money my mom left me is officially mine –with no strings attached to…_Dad_." He shrugged, "Just wondering what to do now, I guess."

Brooke threw an arm around his shoulder, "Well, _Richie Rich_, I don't know." She flashed him a smile, "I've never been out on my own from under daddy's thumb so…you tell me. What does Clayton Evans want to do?"

Honestly, he had no clue. But that had never stopped him before. And just like that, his self-important air was back, he flashed her his (now literally) million-dollar grin easily, "I'll figure it all out soon enough." He said confidently, "Now, I'm betting you didn't come all this way to talk about my problems, but to discuss your own. What's up, Dimples?"

"It's Luke…I don't know," She sighed, "Does O know about the fight last night?"

"Wasn't much of a fight," Clay shook his head, "Seeing as your boy just pounced on Nate… I haven't told anyone, but that doesn't mean shit –Owen always finds a way to know. Either way, Luke Scott probably should stay clear of the house. You know Tim and Dean are always ready to grad any excuse available to hit somebody."

Brooke laughed, shaking her head, "This has gotten way too complicated," she said, "And I don't do complicated, that's why I didn't want a relationship. God, it was so much easier when we were just having sex in random places."

"Sex relieves tension –relationships cause it." Clay said matter-of-factly, sounding eerily like he was channeling Rachel.

"We're leaving today," Brooke continued, ignoring what he'd said, "Everyone is –Hales and her sister are going home, Jay's going home, Skills and Bev…where are you going this break?"

Clay smirked, "Sailing." He stated, as if it were obvious –which it kind of was, its what he did every year. "The ocean, the sun, and some babes in bikinis."

Brooke cocked an eyebrow, "All three of your favorite things."

"Well, a guy's gotta have his hobbies." He said, smirking, "What about you, Dimples? Heading of with Rachel?"

This is what they'd always done since they were fifteen, when Brooke decided to divide her holiday breaks between both of her best friends. Christmas breaks were for Rachel (which consisted of hanging out in France, were Rachel's parents insisted on keeping her in boarding school) and summer breaks were for Clay (which consisted in hanging out at the Hamptons, usually).

"That's the plan… But, well, Luke and I sort of talked it over before midterms, but never really said anything official 'cause we were both swamped with class crap." She shrugged, "And now its time to go and he punched Nate and I haven't talked to him. I should talk to Luke… Right?"

"Right." agreed Clay.

"Or I could…stay here, help Tim and Piz pack everything up?"

"You could do that, too." Agreed Clay once more

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you just gonna agree with everything I say?"

"Pretty much." Clay smirked. He knew her well enough to know that attempting to sway her either way would be pointless –Brooke Davis always did what she wanted to do.

Brooke rolled her eyes and slapped his arm, "You're, like, _no_ help, at all, you know?" she stated as she climbed back into his room.

"You know you love me!" he called out, still smirking. Lying back on the roof he finally made up his mind to light up the joint, he was on vacation already. What else did he have to do?

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

When Luke arrived back at his house, everyone was waiting for him –he was supposed to be in charge of the Pledges. However, as soon as they spotted his scowl, nobody dared speak to him.

"Hey, mate," greeted Alexander, he'd never been afraid of Luke's temper, "Logan's looking for you, he's kind of pissed."

Luke glared at him, "Fuck off, Sketch."

Alexander let out a breath, nodding to where Duke and Jake were standing, and signaling that he was pissed. The buzz-cut blonde raised his palms, "I'm outta this, Jaglieski," assured Duke, "Scott's got anger-management issues or some shit and I ain't getting this pretty face damaged the day before break."

Alexander and Duke sidestepped Jake to head upstairs, but he stopped them, "Not a word to Logan, okay." He instructed and they reluctantly nodded.

Jake sighed, Luke had been his best friend since forever –they'd been in Little League together, then JV Basketball, they made the Varsity team freshman year and then they got into Duke. He should've been used to dealing with the fallouts of Luke's temper, but every time was always just as equally frustrating as the time before.

"Dude," he called out, laying a hand upon the brooder's shoulders. Luke turned around abruptly, ready to take a swing at whoever dared to bother him, "Chill, man!" Jake huffed, "The fuck's wrong with you lately? –Scratch that. The fuck happened to ya last night? You just flipped."

Luke scoffed, sitting down on the stairs, "I'm so fuckin' tired of everyone making me out to be the big bad wolf in this," he said, scowling, "If some dude was dancing with Haley on a freaking table, tell me you wouldn't have laid his ass out."

"Well, there's two things wrong with that sentence," replied Jake, "First, Haley doesn't dance on tables with me, let alone with someone else. And second, it wasn't _some dude_ it was _Nate_. You know B, she's…a free spirit. Dancing on tables is practically in her job description. Rachel was right there –we were all right there –it was innocent."

Luke scoffed again, "Don't even, man! And, please, back in senior year, if Hales was ever in the same room as that douche-bag–"

"–don't even go there, Luke," Jake glared at even the possible mention of the tool that had gotten between him and Haley, "It's not even _close_ to being the same situation."

"It's not that far off, Jay. And it wasn't innocent –Nate's got a thing for her." Luke hissed, "I'm tired of always playing second fiddle to him. And I'm _fucking_ tired of having to compete with every asshat at Sigma Chi to get her to talk to me. So, yeah, I punched Nate. I'd do it again, he had it coming to him. And _you_? You're supposed to be my boy, Jake. So how about you stop backing Nate and start backing me for a change."

"Fine. You're right. Bros over hoes for life –thought this isn't technically about a hoe, but…the principle stands." They chuckled (Jake relieved to get at least that out of the broody-now-very-pissed-off blonde), and bumped fists, then Jake frowned, "…Nate's got a thing for, Brookie?" he asked, clearly puzzled, "For real? Didn't see that one coming… Have you talked to B yet?"

"Nah, she's avoiding me," answered Luke, his brooding pout now back, "Or I'm avoiding her, whichever."

"That's not gonna get you anywhere, man," Jake said in his patented wise tone, "You can't run away from things –how are you ever get what you want? Look, lets just…get the house settled and then we can go find her."

Luke stood up, now towering over Jake in a rather intimidating manner, "Fuck this. I'm going to Sigma Chi, she doesn't get to run away –not this time."

"Uh, Luke, um, I don't…" Jake stuttered, "That's probably not the best idea, seeing as you punched one of their own last night."

The blonde muttered a 'fuck it', and Jake only sighed, pulling out his cell phone. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, pick up… Linds, yeah it's me. Is Hales up? …Get her out of her PJs and into some jeans. Tell her I'm picking her up five… Bye."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Sigma Chi House**

Right in the middle of the foyer, Tim, Clay and Dean kept arguing back and forth about something or other (honestly they'd forgotten what had started it in the first place, but neither was willing to budge, anyways).

The front door burst open and Clay scoffed at the sight, "Oh," he chuckled, clearly amused, "No fucking way. What's the douche doing here?" Dean and Tim stood at either of his sides, arms crossed over their chests defensively.

"Shove it, pretty boy. I'm looking for Brooke." Hissed Luke, and if looks could kill all three of them would've dropped dead.

Dean smirked, "Tough luck, Mohawk, ya just missed her." he said, unscathed by his attitude, "Muffin just left – an errand to run." He shrugged a shoulder casually, "We needed more boxes."

The air suddenly turned tense when Luke fists automatically balled-up, and he took a step forward –he'd always been the one ballsy (or stupid, as Brooke put it) enough to take on three dudes at the same time.

Owen appeared right on time, calmly stepping in between them. "Alright, what brings the Phi Delt Pledge Educator over? Official house business, I'm sure. Anything I can help you with, Scott?" he asked coolly. No one spoke. "Right. Well, then, how about you wait for your girl outside, huh, man? She'll be back any minute now." he inched closer to the blonde, easily towering over him but managing to remain non-threatening, "Make it easy on yourself, Luke. Don't cause a scene."

Luke conceded, mainly because Owen was over 6'5 feet tall and could beat the ever-living shit outta him using only one hand. "And you three," Owen turned to Clay, Dean and Tim, "No one goes all Fight Club on the other Scott boy –I mean it, Stooges, I don't wanna start any shit up." he warned before heading upstairs again.

Nate came downstairs (he'd found his silly, plastic, neon-green yo-yo), Peyton in tow, he'd been packing up the stuff he was taking with him for break, then he'd promised to help her load up the Comet for her drive to down Raleigh tomorrow.

"What's up, guys?" he asked with his casual smirk. All three of them shrugged, muttering 'nothing' or 'same old, same old'. Dean tussled Peyton's curly hair and dragged Tim off to take a break and grab a beer.

Clay laughed, keeping cool as usual, "They're total borderline alcoholics, dude. Beer Bums." He said with a shrug, "And what brings Green-Eyes around?"

"She's gonna be, like, a roadie or something during break. I'm helping her load up her car, but Owen needs me to sort something out now –the paperwork for..._something_." Explained Nate shrugging, "I'll be down in fifteen minutes, kay? Clay can entertain ya while I'm gone, he's always been a good clown."

"Hey!" Clay said with a playful frown, pointing a finger at Nate, "I take that as a compliment, man."

It was all nice and normal at first, small talk about Christmas break plans and if they were expecting any presents or what they'd bought for other people. But then Rachel arrived, and things took a turn.

She still wasn't over the fact that Clay may or may not have hooked up with her –that part wasn't quite clear to the general public; jury was still out on whether or not those two had done it. Either way, Rachel decided that taunting the blonde would be a nice way to end the semester. So she walked over to Clay, raking her nails through his hair before pulling him down into a long kiss, delving her tongue into his mouth. And then just pulling back and walking away –always leave them wanting more.

This, of course, set Peyton off. She apparently hadn't heard that Clay and Rachel were sleeping together. Something about the news (and the way in which she found out) made her feel cheapened in an odd way. Naturally, the pair started going off, or rather Peyton went off on Clay. He mostly took it in stride –women yelling at him wasn't exactly a new feeling for him

Sensing the arising confrontation, Rachel approached the pair again, "Hey, Peyt, I smell trouble. Or is that just you?"

"Rachel," hissed Peyton with a warning tone. _Hmm_. "Walk away."

The redhead only scoffed, "Sweetie, if I do that, he's just gonna check out my ass." She retorted, laughing.

"You can't resist." Peyton shook her head in disbelief, "You won't be happy until you set some drama off, will you? Till you put us at odds."

Rachel's red lips curved up into her trademark, daring smirk. "Well, he certainly won't be."

The blonde's glare seemed to intensify, "You stupid, slutty bitch!" She shrieked, grabbing the nearest thing (a beer bottle) and emptying it on Rachel's face.

Clay frowned in shock, "Peyton, what the fuck?"

"No, no, no, no," Rachel cleared the wet hair off her face, "You and I have never been of the same class, but I'm not afraid to fight above my weight."

"Oh, honey, I'll kick your ass if I can find it!"

"Hey," Interjected Clay in his soothing tone –the one that always seemed to get him out of trouble… This time it wasn't really gonna fly, though. Peyton had taken to another level and Rachel was definitely _not_ gonna back down.

Rachel's eyes narrowed, "Oh, bring it, bitch!" she moved to take a shot at Peyton, but Clay stopped her.

The shouting had brought out a small crowd. Dean, Sam, Piz and Tim now stood at the living room entrance staring at the fight that was evolving before their eyes. Tim Riggins smirked, "_Now_ it's interesting." (To which Dean questioned, "Heh, any jell-o left?")

"I've always wanted to do this." Peyton smirked, easily slipping out of Clay's grip and slapping the redhead with all the force of a punch. Which was just how Rachel retaliated, hitting her right on the nose.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" exclaimed Clay, getting in between them once more in an attempt to stop them from wrestling each other down to the ground.

"Oh, hell, no!" –"C'mon, whore!"

Clay grunted, "Peyton, whatever you think is goin' on, it's not her fault!" he struggled to separate them, but it seemed pretty useless. "You need to calm down!" He was pretty sure that one of them had slapped him –and he wasn't sure if it was an accident or not.

Owen and Nate had come down now, too. The commotion of the fight had reached all the way upstairs. "Why don't you back off? Let 'em handle this without you here, it might calm them down, Clay."

"Why don't _you_ back off, wiseass?" barked out Clay, glaring at the older brunette, as he continued to hold Rachel behind him with one arm and Peyton in front of him with the other, "It's _none_ of your business."

Owen eyed him carefully, "You know what? I think it is. You talk big game, kid. But every girl has got limits and you've reached theirs. Now, know yours and step back, Evans."

"Who the hell are you to talk to me that way?" Clay stepped away from in between the girls, shoving Owen backwards.

Owen's hands were balled up into fists, his knuckles whitened, and he let out a sharp breath in an attempt to remain calm. "You don't want to start this with me. Walk away."

But Clay was seeing red now, and he kept on attacking the burly quarterback who was doing an unprecedented great job at keeping his temper in check. Dean and Tim motioned to step in, but Owen signaled them to stay put.

"Man, fuck you!" yelled Clay.

Nate grabbed Clay, whispering something to him that nobody else heard, pulling him off before he actually took a swing at Owen –there really would've been no going back after that, and they both knew it.

"Shut the hell up, both of you!" shrieked both females, _finally_ finding something to agree on.

-xx-

Outside, Brooke and Luke finally met up face-to-face. Brooke got out of her beetle carrying an armful of boxes, all of which fell to the floor when she spotted Luke waiting for her.

They exchanged smiles, they weren't exactly forced, but they didn't reach either of their eyes and both of them were aware of it. (Neither said anything to acknowledge it, of course. They'd been on cloud nine for a while now, and neither was willing to come down yet. Not willingly, at least.)

But somewhere deep down, Brooke had always known that it couldn't last, not really. Every single one of their…_lulls of peace_ ended up with a clash sooner or later. This one had just lasted a little bit longer than all the ones that came before it.

The talk started out nice enough, but as usual, they were soon yelling. It started when he said that Nate was a pinhead and him staying away from her, which Brooke took as some sort of prohibition for her to talk to Nate. All of it immediately bringing fort Brooke's patented I-am-not-your-property speech and she'll 'talk to whoever she fuckin' pleases'. Finally, pushing him when she called just another guy she slept with.

Luke's scowl now seemed to be permanently engraved in his face, he wasn't just another guy –he couldn't be, right? "Get a soul!" he screamed.

"Get a brain!" she immediately hissed back, her tone low and cold. She was surprised that she was actually surprised. His words actually stung her somewhat –in a very small, practically undetectable way. But why should she have been surprised? Wasn't that what they did (what they'd always done before)? It was simple. He hurt her, she hurt him, and, somewhere in between or after that, they fucked.

Brooke shook her head, "You can't possibly be that naïve." Her hazel eyes seemed empty, "You can't so much of a cliché as to say that I'm not 'letting you in'. This is a really long fling, not a lifelong commitment. You're just…my college boyfriend." she knew how to hurt him, too. "Look, love doesn't work! You wanna know what's screwing this up? You're constantly pushing me! …We should've just been a couple of one-night stands strung together."

"No! NO! The problem's _YOU_! You always have an out! –A freaking exit strategy." He was still yelling, and his eyes seemed ice-cold. "I'm not the problem here…you wanna know what the problem is, why this _doesn_'t work? Because you're _heartless_."

Brooke's eyes welled up, but only a little (never enough for tears to spill out, not in front of him). Then she slapped him, not because it wasn't true, but because it actually hurt her. 'Cause she _wasn_'t heartless, not really.

Luke ran a hand across his now red cheek, "That's that, then."

Before she could answer, the front door opened and Sam frowned, "Shit. Hey, Luke, see ya..." he muttered, sidestepping them on the way out.

Both Luke and Brooke furrowed their brows at the sight: Nate holding back Clay who was about to hit Owen; Peyton and Rachel glaring as if they were about to pounce on each other any second now, Piz in between them with his arms spread to keep them apart; Tim and Dean standing back like bodyguards, ready to step in as soon as they got the signal.

"The fuck's goin' on?" questioned Brooke.

Rachel glared at the petite blonde, panting, "Just let the bitch be." Piz and Tim looped their arms around the redhead's waist, pulling her away upstairs –she was a Sigma Chi girl and they looked out for their own. Brooke moved away from Luke and silently sidestepped Clay and Owen as she followed her friend upstairs.

Dean laid a hand upon his Little Brother's shoulder. "C'mon, Clay," he said, though his tone indicated an order not a request, as he dragged him into the living room. "You need to chill, dude. C'mon. _Now_."

Luke's gazed shifted to his brother and sister, "Peyt?"

Nate squeezed his baby sister's arm, his face inching closer to her ear, whispering: "You good?"

"I'll check on the girls upstairs." Said Owen.

"Peyt," repeated Luke, "What the hell just happened?" _Total silence_. "Nate?"

The raven-haired Scott tucked his hands neatly into his jeans' pocket. "This one's not on me." he said, putting an arm around Peyton's shoulder, "C'mon, P, lets go. I'll walk you home."

He headed off towards the front door, but Luke gripped his arm, stopping him. "No." he hissed, wanting answers, "What the fuck was that?"

"Man, it was nothing." Said Nate, not wanting to tell Luke anything Peyton hadn't told him yet, "It's all good now."

"No, I'm tired of everyone pushing me out," he growled, "What the fuck's going on? Why did Peyton get in a fight with Rachel?"

Nate tried to step in again, but Peyton put a hand on his chest to stop him, "It's okay, Nate." She licked her lips, "We got in a fight over Clay…I guess. I was sleeping with him, but now I'm not and…it was stupid, really. It just got out of control."

"You slept with Evans! Since when do you go 'round acting like a hoe?"

"Whoa, dude, calm down," interjected Nate, "It's all good, man." He gently pushed Peyton to the door, "I'll meet up with ya later, Peyt." He said with a wink.

Luke frowned, "You knew about this?" he asked shoving Nate back.

"Don't do this now, bro." warned Nate, "Not here. This isn't your business, okay? It's Peyton's stuff, just let her handle it." with that, he walked towards the stairs to check in on Rachel.

Clay walked out into the foyer with Dean, clearly he was still pissed. "The fuck's he still doin' here?"

"_You_." Luke scoffed, "I oughta kick your ass, you slept with my little sister!"

Before Clay could reply, Piz came downstairs, "Dude, um, B's asking for ya. Apparently she and Luke broke uh…hey! He's still here." He muttered, pausing upon seeing the brooding blonde still standing there.

"You dumped Brooke?" asked Clay in disbelief, nearing closer towards Luke. Dean laid a hand upon his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. Clay brought his arm back, punching Luke on the jaw and putting all his weight behind it, and causing the blonde to fall on his ass.

"Fuckin' hell." Muttered Dean. Piz frowned, "That's not good…"

"You're done here, Scott. And Sigma Chi's done with Phi Delt." Clay huffed, "Get him outta here."

Luke bounced up and was ready to hit Clay back, when Jake and Haley _finally_ arrived. "Luke, seriously –bad idea." he warned, "Lets go. _Now_." He turned to the other guys for a little help.

"Piz, get him upstairs." Dean said, shoving Clay towards him, and taking charge of the situation. "Scott, listen to your boy. Walk away."

Haley, who was still hungover, grabbed Luke's arm and rubbed her temple with her free hand, "Lucas Scott, I don't know what the hell's going on, but you're done here!" she said with her admonishing mom tone, "We're leaving, come on."

Luke chuckled dryly, "Whatever. Screw this, lets go." He wiped off some blood from his lip, "It's not worth it."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

It was 5am, Brooke and Rachel's flight left in a couple of hours and Clay was coming to drop them off at the airport. No one had really talked about yesterday. Haley had spent the night at the Phi Delt house, and Rachel didn't want to push the subject.

"Hey, B, come on," Rachel said in a soft tone, with a much gentleness as she could muster. This was unexplored territory for them both, and while the redhead knew how to be many things, she'd never tried to play the role of sensitive-and-caring best friend before. It just wasn't how they operated. "Cheer up. We can have a French Christmas. Hang out at my parent's place for a while, and then head over to Vicky's French country house, maybe meet up with your brother. We can do that, and it'll be a blast. Just like old times."

"Yeah?" Brooke didn't mean for it to sound like a question, she cleared her throat, "You're right. It'll be good."

Haley walked in hastily still in her pajamas, including bunny-slippers. "Oh! I didn't miss you, thank god!" she said, hugging them both, "I didn't want you to leave without me getting a chance to say goodbye. Aw, I'm gonna miss you so much."

"We'll miss you, too, Hales." Assured Brooke, squeezing her a little tighter. "And we left your Christmas gift on you bed." She added with a wink.

Haley let out a little squeal and rushed into her bedroom, coming out with two bags, "These are for you."

They exchanged gifts, laughing and saying thank you, and when Clay finally texted them he was downstairs, they hugged goodbye once more.

Rachel was the first one out, and Haley held on to Brooke a few extra seconds, "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" she asked into her chocolate hair.

"I'm fine, Hales." Answered Brooke, "I'll see ya when I get back."

-xx-

The street was practically deserted –half the people had left for break already and the other half were still asleep. There was, however, another car on the block. A black Comet.

"Little Scott," called out Brooke, the blonde turned to face her, her face as expressionless as ever, "The semester's over… _Technically_ you're not a freshman anymore, not entirely anyway, so hazing's over…"

Peyton frowned, shaking her head slightly, "Your best friend and I attempted to claw each other's eyes out less than 24 hours ago," she said matter-of-factly, "Why would you want to stop hazing me now?"

The brunette merely shrugged, "There's been a lot of fighting. Figured it was time someone made peace."

Green eyes met hazel eyes boldly, each trying to read the other but epically failing –they were never close enough to even manage a long shot guess at what the other was thinking. Finally Peyton flashed her a half-smile, all she could really manage at that moment, "See you next semester, Brooke."

"See you, Peyton." she replied with a half-smile before walking to the car.

-xx-

Brooke walked back over to the car. Clay came in Nate's red Jeep. They silently secured the bags on the roof. Rachel was sprawled on the back seat absentmindedly browsing a _Sports Illustrated_ she'd found on the floor of the car. Brooke sat in the passenger seat with her now bare feet perched on the dashboard, wearing a gigantic pair of Gucci sunglasses.

She reached into Rachel's purse and pulled out her iPhone, desperate to listen to whatever in an attempt to drown out her own thoughts and get rid of the silence that seemed to permeate the entire car. Rachel had been listening to Beatles album.

_I don't know why you say goodbye  
I say hello_

She half-smiled at the lyrics and leaned back into the seat, closing her eyes and feeling the cold air against her face. Things were back to normal: she was single, and…things were back to normal.

_Hello, hello  
I don't know why you say goodbye  
I say hello_


	19. How I Spent My Break…

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, this chapter's mostly filler, catching you up on what everyone did and what's been goin' on with them. MAJOR SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY KICKASS REVIEWERS! Read on, dudes!**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_How I Spent My Break…_

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Greek Row**

The campus was abuzz with movement. Every single student coming back to school after four weeks –Greek Row was particularly pulsating, everyone felt an odd pride to wear their house colors and the whole street appeared to be a rainbow.

Rachel and Brooke sat in the porch of the Sigma Chi house, large Ray-Bans shielded their eyes from the afternoon sun, and they had freshly opened Coronas in their hands. They'd arrived a few hours ago, immediately dropping their bags at the apartment, and were waiting for Clay to meet up with them.

"I've actually missed this," Rachel smiled.

Brooke nodded, "I know. Me, too." She said, taking a pull from her beer bottle, and leaning back into the steps, resting on her elbows. Vacation was fun, but her apartment was…_home_.

A large pick-up truck started honking its horn and parked in front of the Phi Delt house. The guys started pouring out and carrying boxes of booze into the house. Start of the second semester meant it was time for the Phi Delt Dead Man's Party.

Logan sat on the roof of the truck, yelling out instructions for the guys. Brooke and Rachel stared at them curiously, and spotted Jake and Matt carrying boxes inside. But what really caused Brooke to stare was Luke. There he stood there in his Phi Delt blue-and-silver hoody smirking and fooling around with the guys –he actually appeared to be having a good time.

"Damn! He looks…" Rachel let her voice trail off for a second when Brooke flashed her a that's-so-not-helpful glare. "_Different_." She finished.

Brooke only rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"I'm just sayin'," Rachel shrugged casually, her trademark smirk on her red lips, "He actually looks like someone I'd sleep with now –his hair's…normal, and who knew he had a smile? It's almost eerie seeing him without the brooding scowl."

But nonetheless, the blunt redhead was right, Luke _did _look different (and by different she meant _good_). Dark_ Ferragamo_ aviators covered his still gorgeous navy-blue eyes, and Brooke could tell he had on that sleeveless gray Duke t-shirt that showed off his well-toned arms. (It was also her favorite shirt, which she used to wear whenever she slept over). His skin was slightly more tanned, his golden-blonde hair seemed a little bit darker, and it was spiked back –he'd grown out his Mohawk. (Though his hair still seemed to naturally pool at the center of his head).

It appeared that he had grown-up four years in four weeks –from a smartass-y kid to a man. Before Brooke could even process that, Clay and Nate appeared sweeping her and Rachel up in a hug and spinning them around. They squealed, clinging to their necks excitedly.

When the guys set them down, they looked at them curiously –Nate and Clay were wearing worn out polos, frayed cargo shorts, and worn-out topsiders. "Aren't you freezing your asses off?"

Both of them nodded, "Fuck yeah!" they said, picking up their duffels and running into the house. The girls laughed, running in after them. The gang immediately settled in on they guys' room –Brooke and Clay huddled up in one bed, Nate and Rachel on the other.

Clay pulled out a box of cupcakes grabbing a few for himself and Brooke before tossing it over to Nate. "Mm," muttered Brooke, swallowing a cupcake, "What did you two even do for the break? Natie, weren't you supposed to be, like, practicing and stuff? I thought your dad was a total hardass about your training."

"Yeah," echoed Rachel, "Last I heard you didn't even have any official plans because you decided not to go home at the last minute."

"Well, when I wasn't going home, I figured I'd take the time to train. Y'know, keep in form for when we came back, but then Clay said he was sailing to the Bahamas or Bermuda or something –where was it that we went? –anyway, he lured me in with the promise of bong hits, Oreos, and babes in bikinis." Nate smirked, "How could I say no to that offer?"

Brooke chuckled, "Oh my god, Coach K. is so gonna kill you!" she said seriously, "Even Jay-Jay was gonna hit the gym. Plus, you're the team Captain so you're supposed to set the example and all that crap."

Nate shrugged, "Eh, you know me," he said casually, "If I did nothing wrong, I'd never do anything. Besides, sailing's tough. I'm still in pretty good shape. And I'm his star shooting-guard, he's not gonna cut me or anything."

"But enough about us," said Clay with a grin, "How was Paris? 'Cause I know you two missed us on New Year's when the clock chimed twelve and you had no one to kiss."

Rachel only winked flirtingly at Brooke, "Well, we did…but then we just kissed each other and it was all good." She and Brooke giggled, Clay and Nate groaned as if they were in profound pain, and asked if they took pictures. They all stayed in until late, eating cupcakes, drinking beer and exchanging stories about their wild trips. But sometime after eight, the girls packed it up and headed back to the apartment –they would've stayed the night, but they still hadn't seen Haley and they really had missed her.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

They stumbled into the house with only the slightest buzz (they appeared to have grown immune to beer and now needed stronger liquor to get really wasted). "Hales!" they called out in a slightly mischievous chorus. "We're back!"

Haley ran out of her room squealing and engulfed them in a hug. "Oh my god, I've missed you guys so, so much! How was your break?"

They snuggled up on the living room with cocoa (Hales still didn't like beer), and each sprawled out on either the couch or the armchair. Haley was really excited to hear about Paris and thought it'd been a killer way to spend Christmas.

"So, Tutor Girl, how'd you spent the break?" asked Brooke, "Uh, you, Linds, and Jay-Jay went back to Tree Hill, right?"

Haley nodded, sipping her cocoa, "Yeah, Lindsay went off to Providence, though –did you know she actually transferred over here? I think she's rooming with Peyton now... Well, Jake and I spent the first few days together –we went winter walking after a storm and it always gets really pretty when it snows. But then I left to spend Christmas day with my parents and my sisters, and Jake stayed with his dad and I actually think he came back here to meet up with Luke, but we did meet up for New Year's Eve. Um, anyway, it was a typical Christmas for me."

"Luke stayed here?" asked Brooke, her nose scrunched up. She spent her break pushing the brooding blonde out of her mind –plenty of wine, and hot French boys made the task pretty easy. That and the fact that she'd _literally_ left him behind on the other side of the globe. But Duke was way too small, certainly they'd bump into each other at Al's or at Greek Row parties, they definitely had to see each other for practice (cheer practice was scheduled with basketball practice), and odds were they'd have at least one class together (because it'd been like that since freshman year and they'd never planned it).

Haley and Rachel stared at her questioningly, almost as if they were inspecting her in an attempt to assess her reaction. Brooke cleared her throat and smiled in that self-assured way of hers, urging Haley to continue talking about her break, "Right, so, um, O'Toole dropped these off for us." Said the honey-blonde, changing the subject abruptly, as she handed each of them a black file.

Rachel opened it and began reading aloud, "Campus Assassin Game: The object of the game is to eliminate your assigned target. If you succeed, you take their target and the game continues until one lone survivor remains. And the winner receives a party hosted at Al's in their honor, while the winner's house gets $500 and five points towards the Greek Blue Ribbon. The game starts Friday at the Dead Man's Party hosted by Phi Delta. Come as your favorite assassin or spy." She finished and furrowed her brow, "But we're not in a house."

"Yeah, but Logan always adds us to the game," said Haley, grinning. "Perks of dating a Frat Boy."

"Yeah. We play for Sigma Chi, and Hales play for Phi Delt." Added Brooke, "And last year I _almost_ made it to the end!"

Haley smirked, "Yes. And Dick Casablancas, the stupidest guy on campus, ended up killing ya." She chuckled, "Not something to brag about, Tigger."

Rachel laughed, and Brooke stuck her tongue out at them, "You both suck!" she declared seriously, opening her tiny manila envelope and pulling out a black & white picture that read _GOTCHA TARGET PHOTO ID_ on top. "Who'd you guys get?"

"Owen Morello." said Haley, throwing her envelope on the table.

"Oh, this oughta be good," declared a clearly amused Rachel, "Jake Jaglieski."

Brooke flashed them her picture, "Dean Winchester." She wiggled her eyebrows, "Let the games begin."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

A few of the guys were crowded around the pool table. Jake and Luke were whipping every one of them clean. The pair smirked, bumping fists as Duke and Alexander handed them the cash.

Matt and O'Toole walked in and approached Luke, "Um, the invites for Dead Man's Party are handed out."

"Did you deliver Gatina and Davis' invites?" questioned Logan as he chalked his cue. "They're not on Greek Row, they're on…" he let his voice trail off.

"Lakeview." Finished Alexander for him with a matter-of-fact tone.

The pledges nodded and after a few more games, everyone cleared out leaving only Jake and Luke behind. The pair settled in the living room.

Jake muttered as he counted a bunch of twenty dollar bills, "Okay…so its one-twenty for you, and one-twenty for me." he said, handing Luke his half of the cash, "Not bad for a night's work."

"Well, $120 bucks buys a lot of shots at Al's." Luke smirked, leaning back into the armchair.

The brunette just frowned, staring at his best friend with a puzzled look, "Okay, what is up with you lately, dude? I mean, not that I don't like the new, much more relaxed version of you, but what the hell happened? I leave with Hales for a week, and then I get a text from you saying that you're here training and that I should drop by, and…four weeks later you're, like, all mellow and stuff. You haven't even called Alexander names all day!"

Luke just chuckled, shaking his head, "What? I just thought it was time to try something new. Would you prefer it if I went back to insulting Alexander and…punching people?"

"Funny, Chuckles," replied Jake, "Whatever. Probably better to _not _poke the sleeping bear. So, changing subjects, figured out what you're wearing for Dead Man's yet?"

"Yeah, dude, Martin Q. Blank," stated Luke coolly, "The Clash-loving assassin. What about you?"

Jake rolled his eyes, "Hales picked out our costumes. We're going as Mr. & Mrs. Smith." He shrugged, taking a sip from his beer bottle. "Eh, I just agree with whatever she likes 'cause it's not like I had a costume picked out."

"_Whipped_!"

"Oh, fuck off!" Jake pelted him with a cushion, and smirked, "So, who's your Gotcha target?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, flashing him a daring pout, "I'll show ya mine if you show me yours." Jake shrugged a shoulder, handing over his envelope, "Piznarski." Read Luke aloud, "Oughta be easy enough."

"Who'd you get?"

Luke smirked, handing the picture back, Jake noticed a mischievous spark in his navy-blue eyes as he smirked impishly, "Clay Evans." He read aloud.

"Awesome." Jake forcibly cleared his throat and stood up, "I'm gonna crash. Good luck with that."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Phi Delta Theta House **

Haley walked into the house and plopped herself down on the comfy living room couch, resting legs on Sam's lap, he simply scooted over and said hello –no one dared to mess with her, and all the guys at the house loved her.

"Hey, Sammy," greeted Haley with a smile, "Is Luke around?"

"Uh, maybe," he replied, still focused on his game of GTA, "He just ran into –c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" he yelled at the TV, "Shit!" he threw the controller on the table and leaned back into the couch, "Right. So, what were you saying?"

She only chuckled, "Luke." she repeated, "Is he here or is he out?"

"Oh! Yeah, he's upstairs."

Haley playfully tousled his shaggy hair and jumped off the couch, "Thanks, Sammy."

-xx-

She walked into the large bedroom as if she owned it and jumped up on the worn out futon across the bed, "Oh, my god!" she squealed when Luke jumped down from the windowsill and turned to face her. "Oh, my god! You actually did it! You grew the stupid Mohawk out!"

He subconsciously ran a hand through his golden-blonde locks of hair, still not quite used to not feeling his messy Mohawk spiked up on the middle. "Tryin' out a new look. What, you don't like it?"

Haley grinned widely, standing up on the futon and jumping into Luke's arms for a big bear hug. "I've missed you, Luke" she said earnestly, this had been the first break they didn't spend together –he always came down to Tree Hill and she was always his date for his parents' Christmas party, but they hadn't seen each other in four weeks.

"Aw, I've missed ya, too, Hales." He said, swinging her down on the bed, "So what's up? What'd you do during break?"

"Spent some time with Jake, and then I met up with Quinn, Linds and parental units down in Providence." She recited with a bored tone, "But enough about that. What's been going on with you? I mean, after the Brooke-gate we didn't really get a chance to talk about things, and–"

"–it's really fine, Hales." He interrupted her with a slightly sad smile, "We clearly weren't working anyways, and…whatever. I just gotta take care of myself, everything else takes care of itself. It's really not a big deal."

Haley sighed, "It is to me," she said, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "A lot of drama was going on at the time, and I don't know, I feel like I should've stuck up for you more, but I had a killer hangover and we were all leaving the next day, and… I'm sorry." He opened his mouth, but after a pause, Haley continued, "I mean, I love Brooke, but she was kind of playing both ends against the middle, and… You're still my best friend, and I am always on Team Luke, y'know?"

Luke chuckled at her blurted out display of loyalty and affection, "I love you, too. And I'm always on Team Haley." He said hugging her and tousling her hair, and kissing her forehead.

They fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling in silence for a few seconds. "So," Luke said after a beat, "Team Luke. Any chance we can ya a t-shirt that says that? 'Cause those would be awesome."

Haley chuckled and slapped his arm, glad that Luke was actually good, and that _they_ were good, too. "Crap!" she shrieked when she saw his watch, "I'm gonna be late for cheer practice!" she announced, jumping off the bed, "But promise we'll meet up later, catch up properly? Ooh, we can meet

at quad outside the student center!"

"It's a date," Luke cracked a grin, Haley had that effect, "I'll even spring for coffee."

"Alright!" Haley squealed, kissing his forehead goodbye, "See ya later, Luke!"

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Duke Gym**

Brooke had called an early cheer practice. Sure it was only the second day back, but she didn't want the squad to get lazy, and she wouldn't tolerate anything bellow perfection. The Blue Devils Cher Squad strived for excellence and, since she'd become captain, they'd always achieved it.

Just as they'd finished stretching, the basketball team marched into the gym. Coach K. walked behind them, chewing their asses off about something or other. As per usual, the girls paused to watch them get reamed –it was now tradition to watch the boys cower down whenever the coach yelled at them.

"What's that all about?" asked the always-curious Rachel, "I thought Moody said they weren't gonna get in trouble for slacking off during break."

They heard Nate yell something, then watched as he slammed a basketball against the backboard of the hoop. He was immediately benched, and he was doing that seething-scowling thing of his. Most of the squad found it sexy, but Brooke, Rachel and Peyton knew it meant trouble.

"Luke's team Captain again," stated the curly-haired blonde matter-of-factly, quiet enough so that only Brooke, Rachel and Haley could hear, "Nate got…_downgraded_."

Brooke let out a breath, plastering on a smile, and turned to face the squad, "Okay, show's over, guys." she clapped, and all eyes where on her once more, "We're doing the routine from the top! I want this perfect for the next game."

A few hours later, after multiple complaints for the entire squad, Brooke ended the practice –she wasn't known as the Cheer Nazi for going easy on them. The girls quickly dispersed and headed off to the locker-room, wanting to get out of the brunette's sight immediately in case she changed her mind. Peyton was grabbing her gym bag off the bleachers when Brooke approached her, "Hey, Little Scott," she said with a somewhat friendly tone, "How was your break?" Peyton flashed her a small glare, the brunette shrugged, "Habit."

"It was awesome, actually." Replied the curly haired blonde, "Well, it was small tour, but it sold-out every night, and I even helped land a few sponsors. Oh! The last show is actually tomorrow night at Al's. You should come, its gonna be really good."

Brooke nodded, surprised that talking to Little Scott was actually not that difficult, "Alright, I'll tell Rae and Hales. We'll definitely be there."

"Cool," said Peyton, slinging her gym bag over her shoulder, "I'll see you guys there."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke walked into the Sigma Chi house and bumped into a slightly scraggly, black-haired kid holding a bottle of Bud. He steadied her with his free hand and flashed her a crooked smile, "Hello," he greeted happily as he unabashedly checked her out.

"You're new." The brunette smirked, checking him out as well, "Who're you?"

The kid shook her hand, still smiling, "I'm Chase." After a beat, he added, "Morello. And what's your name, Gorgeous?"

Brooke flashed him one of her dimpled smiles and could practically see a little drool pooling in his mouth. "I'm so, _so_ far out of your league, Preppy." She said, snatching her hand away, "You're Owen's baby brother, the soccer team's latest prodigy?" he nodded, "Right, well, I'm Brooke. Is Nate here?"

"Upstairs." He said, smirking "You're Brooke Davis. That chick O brought home on the long weekend, the one who almost got arrested with Tyra?"

"Aw, my reputation precedes me, that's good." She said, smirking at him in return, "Still way out of your league, but you're cute for trying, though. See ya around, Ace." She added, throwing a wink his way as she ran up the stairs, "Welcome to Duke."

-xx-

Brooke could hear the music blasting through the door –Queen's _Bohemian Rhapsody_, which surprised her 'cause Nate never really seemed like a Queen-fan –he was doing what he usually did when he was feeling pissy: lying on his bed and tossing a basketball into the air.

"Hey, Moody," she greeted as perkily as she could, jumping on the bed next to him. He only tossed the basketball into the hoop hanging on the back of the door, and scooted over to make room, "C'mon, don't be like that. Talk to your Sunshine." She demanded with a huge smile, nudging him a little.

Nate rolled his eyes, "Nothing to talk about, B, I'm not Captain anymore. Luke took it back." He shrugged, "That's cool."

"Oh, cut the bull." She said, "I _know_ you –when you got Captain you were really proud and you pushed every single guy on the team to play harder and play better. Put in some extra effort in practice and Coach K. will make you co-Captain again."

He smirked, sitting up on the bed, "You're right, I mean…I chose to spent my break getting blitzed out at sea instead of at the gym. Thanks, Sunshine," he grinned, "You always know just what to say to me."

"Well, it's a gift," Brooke replied, scrunching up her nose in that really cute way of hers, "Tell you what, though, I still need a date to Dead Man's –normally Clay's my date to everything, but I don't think he'd mind going stag. And besides, you could use a fun night out."

Nate smiled, "Awesome. Count me in." he said, "Hey, you gonna tell me who your target is?"

"Dean." Replied Brooke with a shrug, "How about you?"

"Logan Echolls."

They laughed, and agreed to trade their targets just because Brooke wanted to see the smirk on Logan's face fall when she got him. Nate put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, and she felt comfortable in a way she hadn't all throughout break. (As much as she hated to admit it, with Luke she'd gotten used to cuddling and to falling asleep next to someone, and her French one-night stands weren't really good for that). "Hey, Natie…" she let her voice trail off, not sure if she even wanted to ask the question, it wasn't like it would change anything. But she did it anyways. "You don't think I'm heartless, do you?"

"Are you kidding me?" he said, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting way, "Brooke, you're unbelievable. You are one of the most caring people I know, and you've always had my back. Sure, you're a little cruel during cheer practice, but that's understandable," he quipped, eliciting a small giggle from her, "Point is, you're anything but heartless. You're one of my best friends, B."

Brooke smiled, burrowing her face into his chest. Nate smelled familiar, like L'Occitane sandalwood soap and some Armani cologne whose name she couldn't really remember. And he felt safe and warm and he didn't think she was heartless, so they stayed there for a bit because Nate could tell that she needed someone to hold her for a little while longer even though she'd never ever admit it.

It was funny. In the past, when Brooke was pissed or sad or whatever, she'd scream or throw a Manolo or have a fit. In a way, her hesitant manner was almost worse. He could actually tell that she was a little pained and he didn't like it.

After a few minutes, she finally sat up, her dimpled smile never faltering, "So," she cleared her throat, "I'm bored, and your self-pity moment about the whole captain thing is over, 'cause you're Nate Scott and I'm Brooke Davis and we do not wallow." Nate couldn't help but to smirk in that cocky way of his as she continued, "Anyway, lets go. I need a costume for Friday night, and you're coming with me to help me pick it out."

They went downstairs and paused when they saw the car that was parked right in front of the house. Clay was leaning against it, holding court now that half the guys in the house were crowded around. Nate and Brooke pushed through, staring at him with their mouths slightly agape. "Dude, what the fuck?"

"This-this is an Audi R8." Stammered Brooke in shock, "This is…an _Audi R8_!"

"That's…" Nate paused, staring at the car for a few seconds, "Dude, that is the freaking _Iron Man_ car! Are you for real? How'd you even get this?"

Clay shrugged, his cocky, lopsided grin never wavering, "I bought it." he said, grinning even wider, "Don't be shy, Dimples. I saved ya first trip." He said, tossing her the keys, "Where were you two headed? Lets go!"

They still couldn't believe that Clay had actually traded in his Jaguar –the car he'd actually _worked_ to buy 'cause he wanted to get it all on his own, the car he'd actually fixed up, his 'baby'. But, hell, he got the Iron Man car, who were they to complain when he was clearly willing to let them drive it around, too?

-xx-

**Thursday  
Al's Backyard**

Every break, Al took advantage of the free time to make some renovations (with all the alcohol college students consumed, his business was always thriving). This year, he was kicking off the semester with a performance by some indie rocker kid, which Peyton Scott had set up for him. It was the last stop on the tour and she was psyched because she'd coordinated this one all on her own.

The club was dark and everything seemed to blend in a haze, strobe lights flashed and most of the partygoers are drunk on something by now. The music enveloped the crowd, and a pulsating beat could be felt throughout the entire dance floor.

Brooke stuck a straw in each of the highball glasses and picked them off the bar, raising them over her head as she moved around the crowd, making her way back to Rachel.

She bumped into a guy, spilling a little bit of the drinks, "Shit! Sorry," she mumbled apologetically, "Did I get you?"

"No, I'm good." Even through the blaring music and the chants of everyone around, Brooke recognized his voice instantly: Luke Scott. "Always two drinks ahead of everyone else, aren't ya," he said as more of a statement than a question.

Brooke smirked, "One's Rachel's, actually, but yeah," she said with the easiest tone she could muster, "I'm always ahead of the curve."

Before Luke could answer, Theresa came up behind him, throwing an arm around his chest, "Come on, handsome!" she said, smiling, "Dick and Logan sprung for shots, and a lime seems to have disappeared down my shirt. Care to help me find it?"

The brooder smirked wider (that patented, cocky smirk of his), as he ran his eyes along Theresa's cleavage, "I'd love to," he declared, letting Theresa pull him away towards the bar, willing himself to not turn to look at Brooke as he walked away.

Brooke doesn't know why she found it weird –it's Theresa, the basketball team's official whore, _everyone_ had slept with her. Nonetheless, it bothered her and she actually felt slightly possessive (thought she'd _never_ show it), silently swearing that she'd make the next practice hell on earth for Theresa.

On the other hand, she was also a little relieved. That hadn't been as awkward as she thought it'd be. Then again, they were both tipsy right now and alcohol always made them get along really good. And so began the awkward we-try-to-be-polite-but-it's-best-to-just-avoid-each-other-entirely phase of their break-up. Fuckin' awesome.

Half an hour later, Brooke had an arm looped around Rachel's waist. She'd already had four Jaggerbombs and a couple of beers in her so she was now way more tipsy than normal, dancing slowly to the beat of a song all the while leaning on Rachel.

Owen was twirling Rachel around on the dance floor, and Jake had dragged Clay to get everyone refills on their drinks. Nate made himself busy dancing in between Brooke and Haley to some Jason Derulo song. Suddenly, it stopped and they clapped, turning to face the stage.

Peyton got up on stage and signaled the DJ to kill the music. "Whoo!" she yelled into the microphone, "Alright, is everyone ready to rock?" a massive bout of whoops and cheers erupted immediately, "That's what I'm talking about! Now everybody put your hands together for Chris Keller!"

The guy looked kind of ass-y, but he could sing. Haley and Jake were dancing really close together when he sang a mellow song, Nate just swayed along to the beat with Rachel and Brooke. The guy closed the set with a cover of Kings of Leon's _Use Somebody_, and everyone clapped for him and the rest of the band.

The DJ came back again, scratching some Lady Gaga song, but Haley, Brooke and Rachel had gone back to the bar, they'd finally having tired out of dancing and were taking a break. Brooke had ordered them a round of something called Anthrax Shooter. Haley drank it wearily, feeling a little afraid of asking what was in it, and opted to pass on the Agua Luca Strawberry Caipirinha chaser that the redhead had ordered for them.

"Okay, okay," said Brooke, sipping from her glass and attempting to be nonchalant, "Don't look now, Hales, but the indie-scruffy guy with the camera has been checking you out all night. And, I gotta say, he doesn't look that bad."

Haley looked up carefully, locking eyes with the 'indie-scruffy guy'. She gulped when the guy flashed her an alluring grin, which she knew all too well. "Oh, fucking hell…" she muttered, immediately looking away.

Rachel sneaked another peak, "See, now, that grin should be illegal. He's kinda hot, Hales. Pitty you're taken, but I wouldn't mind taking him home tonight." But the honey-blonde remained rooted in her spot pretending not to feel his intense brown eyes burning a hole on the side of her head, "What's wrong, Tutor Girl?" inquired the redhead with a concerned tone.

Brooke furrowed her brow, "Hey, everything okay? Do you know him or something –is he a creeper?"

Haley managed a weak nod, "That's…Julian Baker."

"Whoa!" replied Rachel and Brooke with a somewhat comic synchronization, "_The_ Julian Baker, the one that you…"

Haley did a double-take of him –his hair was different, shorter, almost military-style, and he was a little taller, but his grin (charming and cocky and enticing all at the same time) remained unchanged. "Yep. That's the one." She said, stealing Brooke's glass and emptying its contents in a single gulp, suddenly feeling grateful that the brunette always drank something strong.

"Well…" Rachel stuttered, for one of the first times in her life feeling at a complete loss for words, "…That's not good." She said unhelpfully.

Jake approached the threesome, "Hey, guys," he kissed the side of Haley's head, then took a pull from his beer, "What's goin' on?" he asked with his goofy grin.

Suddenly Haley seemed to be frozen. Brooke and Rachel clumsily elbowed each other until Rachel blurted out at the top of her lungs, "DANCE!" she shrieked somewhat desperately, "Uh, Jake, dance with me!" she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away to the dance floor.

Brooke shook Haley, "Hales, hun, are you alright?" she questioned with a concerned tone, "Sweetie, say something."

"_Fuck_."


	20. Totally Fucked

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So…I actually have nothing to say. As usual, a shout out to everyone who reviewed (ya know I love ya, guys). And…read on, tell me whatcha think. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Totally Fucked _

-xx-

**Thursday  
Al's Backyard**

Haley immediately reached for the drink Rachel had left on the bar, but Brooke slapped her hand away –a drunk Haley wasn't a smart Haley. "Al," she called, her hand frantically tapping on the bar, "I need a water over here!"

"What the hell's he doing here?" asked Haley after remaining silent for a few minutes, which, to Brooke, felt to run on forever.

Brooke lifted her shot glass off the bar and quickly downed its content –she wasn't the one who needed to be sober, "Visiting?" she let out a wry chuckle.

"Yeah. Sure." Haley let out a frustrated groan, "Ugh! Of course he'd make a comeback now, things are actually settled down and life is good –of course something was bound to fuck it all up!"

"C'mon, Hales, it can't be that bad," replied Brooke, trying make things light. She's never gotten the whole scoop on what had gone down with the Julian-guy, but it couldn't have been that bad. "I mean, whatever went down between you guys was, like, four years ago, right? So some dude who had a crush on you is in town, it's not that big a deal."

Haley rolled her eyes, she was well aware that all her friends thought that she and Jake had been together since pre-school and that they'd always been perfectly in love, which was half-true. They'd known each other forever and, in some way, they'd been in love with each other for most of their lives. But they were teenagers and back in high school, when they fought a lot, they broke up and dated other people. During that time, Jake hooked up with the crazy slore that was Nikki Smith, trying out his status as one of the 'Tree Hill Ravens' Studs'.

And Haley met Julian Baker –he was geeky in a charming kind of way, and he loved to hear her sing, and he was _new_ and he was from LA, a world away from Tree Hill. At that time, Julian Baker represented all these…possibilities. Just what every seventeen-year-old girl wanted. In the end their flings were considerably short-lived, and Jake & Haley were back on by senior year, ready to head off to college together and live happily ever after.

But to Julian, Haley was the one-that-got-away, and he'd always made his feelings for her perfectly clear.

"Please, just…keep Jake busy? I gotta go talk to him." the honey-blonde's tone was an odd mix of determination and apprehension. Ugh, why did it always have to be a mix?

Brooke silently nodded, then ordered up another round of shots. As far as she knew, the best to keep anyone busy was by getting 'em wasted. Besides, she could use a break from her own drama and focus on somebody else's.

Though her walk was steady and she had on her no-nonsense look, her croaked tone betrayed her confidence when she asked him, "What the hell are you doing here, Julian?"

"Haven't you missed me? Not even a little bit?" he inquired, his voice as confident as ever, that smirk-y grin never faltering. Rachel was right –it should've been illegal.

She shook her head, "Not at all." She said, her eyes meeting his for the second time tonight, "Look, I need you to go. I'm here with–"

"–ah! The Boyfriend." his tone, although playful, showed a little resentment, "I see you two are still together. How is _Jake_ doing?"

Haley glared, all the cockiness that seemed endearing back in high school now seemed infuriating. "What are you doing here?" she repeated her original question, her tone ice-cold.

"I'm with the band." Julian replied coolly, as if it were common knowledge. "Making a documentary of the tour."

"Yeah? Well, show's over, Julian." stated Haley, "Time for you to go."

She turned to leave, but his strong hands gripped her arm and effortlessly spun her around so she was facing him. He pressed her small frame closer to his and leaned down close to her ear, "I'll see ya around, Hales." He whispered. He then dropped a soft kiss right on the pulse point of her neck, quickly pulling back and winking, flashing her a final grin before walking away.

-xx-

With indie-scruffy guy gone, Hales had called it a night early and Jake had walked her back to the apartment –she'd looked like she was about to throw up at any second and he didn't want her to go home alone. Brooke was at the bar once more, ordering another round of shots.

"Well, I just keep bumpin' into you tonight, Davis." She jumped up at hearing Luke's voice, and turned to find him sitting on the stool next to hers.

Brooke forcibly cleared her throat, "It's a small bar." She stated politely, if not with a little indifference. After all, she was supposed to be heartless, right?

"Yeah, I guess it is." Luke responded casually, as if he hadn't noticed her tone. What the fuck was up with him lately? He was so polite and…_normal_. It freaked her out. "See ya around," He grabbed his beers off the bar and headed back to his friends –he was actually hanging out with Skills, Bevin, Sam and a few other guys from Phi Delt.

Much to Brooke's displeasure, Theresa was there, too, her hands roaming Luke's chest. "Ugh," the brunette frowned in disgust, "Such a whore." She muttered.

"So that's going well." Brooke whipped around startled once again. She was even more surprised to find Peyton sitting on the stool on her other side. "Typical Luke, though. Just when we start to tolerate each other, you guys break up." she joked.

Brooke smiled, grateful that she was just drunk enough to have that conversation with her ex-boyfriend's little sister, "Yeah…" she muttered, "Um, this is weird."

"Yeah, we're not that close yet." Replied Peyton, shaking her head. They exchanged awkward goodbyes and headed off in opposite directions.

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

For the first time since all three girls lived together, Brooke and Rachel actually gotten up before Haley. They'd showered and gotten dressed hastily, waiting for the honey-blonde to get up.

It was odd to not have Jake sleepover, but Haley felt queasy after her run-in with Scruffy (Brooke and Rachel had shortened indie-scruffy-guy-with-the-camera), and she'd ended up going home alone.

Haley walked out of her bedroom and was immediately bombarded by questions, most of which she wasn't able to answer (Why is he here? How long is he staying? What does he want?), and the others she'd really rather not go into (How'd you meet? Was he a creepy-stalker type? Does Jake know him?).

She ignored them as best as she could, absentmindedly eating her cereal. Finally, she let out slightly piercing shriek. "Okay, enough!" she demanded, "This is not a big deal. I am handling it."

"Well, you gotta give us something," pleaded Brooke, "C'mon, Hales, all we know is that the guy hung around Tree Hill and he had a thing for you, and that Jake hates him."

They pestered her like that for a couple of minutes until she finally yelled, "He wasn't some guy with a crush on me! Julian and I dated for, like, half a year!" she admitted, "…it was junior year. Jake and I took a break, he dated around, and I…met Julian. His dad was scouting locations for some movie and he'd tagged along. He was a senior and…well, it ended and Jake and I got back together. And that was that."

"Wait, so, Scruffy was your boyfriend?" asked Brooke, her brow furrowed.

Rachel cocked an eyebrow, "You've had sex with him?"

"Oh! Do _not_ nickname him, he is not here to stay." exclaimed Haley. When Brooke and Rachel gave guys a nickname, they tended to stick around. "And yes, I've slept with him. Jeez, how sad did you think I am to believe that I'd only ever slept with one guy."

"Okay," Rachel shrugged, "How many guys _have_ you slept with?"

"Well…_two_." Haley admitted, rolling her eyes, "So I don't get around like you guys do, whatever! That is so not the point! The point is, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tonight there's Dead Man's, and I'll talk to Jake after, and we're…_not_ talking about this anymore." she declared, before retreating back into her room.

Brooke and Rachel decided to let it be, when Haley needed their help, she'd tell them. Until then, they'd abide by her request and not butt in –its not like they were any better at relationships.

"Oh, fuck my life," muttered Brooke, picking up a backpack off the floor, "I've gotta go, I'm gonna be late for class."

Rachel raised an eyebrow skeptically, "You signed up for a Friday morning class?"

"Ugh, I needed more credits and it was the only one that wasn't full." Explained Brooke, "But it's my only one for the day, and then I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Good luck."

-xx-

**Friday  
Duke University**

Thanks to some weird miracle (and the fact that her apartment was walking distance from West Campus, which is where her class was), Brooke made it to the classroom early.

Once there, she realized that she'd taken Rachel's bag –along with her iPhone, her wallet, and her books. Trying to be a glass-half-full girl, Brooke turned on the iPod and set it on shuffle. She drowsed off and woke up just as the professor walked in.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room, settling her gaze on the blonde who was sitting two seats away her. No. Fucking. Way.

She'd figured she'd end up in a class with Luke –they always had at least one class together. But it was always with the group, with Haley or Clay or Jake or Nate there to act as buffers for whenever they argued.

For a second his gaze shifted and landed on her, he flashed her a seemingly friendly half-smirk, and she waved awkwardly, before settling her eyes back on her notebook and doodling.

Fucking awesome. This is what the new semester would be like. Awkward glance and uncomfortable moments. What an awesome way to start her Friday mornings.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke walked into the Sigma Chi house (she'd agreed to meet Nate there and walk over to the Phi Delt house) –she was dressed as Sidney Bristow with a cherry-red wig and all. She was surprised to spot Rachel sitting on the couch browsing a Playboy (the thing about living in a house full of guys: porn was considered acceptable living room literature).

"Hey, Sidney Bristow!" greeted the redhead happily, discarding the magazine on the coffee table, "Nice outfit."

Brooke plopped herself down on the couch, looking at her up and down, "And who're you supposed to be?"

"I'm Angelina Jolie in _Wanted_!" she shrieked with a tone that indicated it wasn't the first time somebody had asked her that, and that she was clearly frustrated by the lack of recognition.

The brunette raised an eyebrow, "What makes that outfit Angelina Jolie in _Wanted_?" she asked, wanting to tease her friend. "And who're you waiting for?"

"Owen. And, you know what, you don't get to bitch about my costume." Stated Rachel matter-of-factly, "Seeing as you stole my date."

Brooke scoffed in mock offense, placing a hand on her chest, "Did not! I would never."

"Did too, Nate's always my date to Greek parties –granted, more than once we end up sleeping with other people, but still." Rachel picked up another magazine (this time something about cars), and shrugged, "But whatever, Owen's hotter, and…I haven't slept with him yet, so that'll be new."

Brooke furrowed her brow, "Well, what about Clay?" Hadn't Rachel gotten into a catfight over him just a few weeks ago? "And, by the way, you're really making your way around the house: Nate, Clay, now Owen –who's next, Dean?" she giggled, "Slut!"

"Bitch!" Rachel laughed, reaching over to kick her playfully, "And, catch up, B, Clay and I haven't hooked up since before break. I don't really cotton too well to sharing, at least not with Peyton Scott." Stated the redhead with detachment, "I know you seem to have called a truce on her or whatever, but I still think she's a little bitch."

"Why is it that everything with you two is always a bitch-fight?" questioned Owen with an amused grin as he walked toward them confidently. "Not that I don't love the drama, but really, why can't we all just get along?"

Brooke immediately jumped up to give him a hug, complementing him on his Terminator costume, "You know you love us, O. The drama's just part of our charm, its what makes us so irresistible."

"Well, if I do say so myself, I am very good at reading people, and you two just like to stir shit up. Need I mention your Luke Drama," he said nodding towards Brooke, "And your Clay Drama," Owen crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, "But don't worry, baby." he said, leaning towards Rachel, "It doesn't make me jealous. Lets go, we're gonna be late."

Rachel actually blushed a little, looked away. They were off, and a few minutes later the rest of the guys came down. Clay came down with Dean and Tim, wearing a black suit (he and Nate had dressed up as Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega from _Pulp Fiction_). They all complemented Brooke, and Dean attempted to playfully cop a feel, only to get kneed in the groin –Brooke halfheartedly apologized all the while giggling and claiming that it was instinct.

Clay made some lame joke about how _"Brooke will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger"_ at Dean's expense, and with that they left, too, promising to save Brooke a dance, and jokingly suggesting that she tried to stay alive the entire night.

Nate came down shortly after, he handed Brooke a small Nerf Gotcha dart gun that she could carry easily and they walked over to the party.

-xx-

**Friday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

The party was in full swing –Logan always spared no expense at any of his house's events. They'd mounted up a small stage in the living room and there was some band playing, it was pretty usual to get live entertainment since most local bands would play for a couple of bucks and free beer. The entire house seemed to vibrate with the sound of an old song by The Doors.

They bumped into Alex Dupre who informed them that Theresa couldn't make it tonight. She'd passed out of the couch with five ice-packs and a bottle of Motrin. Brooke smirked at that, she wasn't called the Cheer Nazi for taking it easy.

Outback, Duke was mixing some weird cocktails in a blender, and everyone had lined up to try them. Naturally, Nate and Brooke were among the first to get one –no one made Brooke Davis wait for a drink. She and Nate clinked their cups and downed them in one sip. It was neon-green (though if you held it up to the light, it appeared to be blue), and it tasted like Lysol and…_lye_.

Still, the pair downed three or four (hell, five or six), when they recognized Journey's _Anyway You Want It_ blasting from inside the house. It wasn't exactly clear who dragged who out to dance (they were both tipsy and held onto each other not because they wanted to, but because they feared they'd stumble down if they didn't prop each other up), and they moved along to the upbeat rock rhythm happily –Brooke managing to sway her hips along to the song flawlessly, and Nate expertly twirling her every so often. It was quite hard to tell that they were kind of sloshed.

Then they heard another all-too familiar sound. The classic and unmistakable chants of _Fight! Fight! Fight!_, accompanied by a few loud crashes and thumps. The pair immediately rushed inside to find out what was going on. To tell the truth, Brooke half expected it to be Luke beating the shit out of someone.

Which is why they were both beyond surprised to find that it was Luke who was restraining back _Jake_, while some other dude with spiked hair (he seemed vaguely familiar, though neither could quite place him) held back Scruffy.

Haley looked like she was about to cry as she attempted to calm Jake down. The tears finally spilled out when she reached to touch Jake's arm and he yanked it away brusquely, and then walked off the party in an angry fit.

The guy holding back Julian –the guy that was _with_ Peyton– Brooke soon realized, was Chris Keller. He was the one singing with the band at the party. Julian tried to approach Haley, but she slapped him and ran off in the opposite direction.

Logan immediately got the music going again and ordered everyone to disperse. However, Nate, Brooke, Luke, Rachel, Clay, and Peyton (and for some reason Chris and Julian) remained rooted in their spots. "Do this in private." Ordered Logan, handing Luke a key to the studio, which they locked up for parties.

Unfortunately, once they were locked away, they just started to argue amongst themselves. They seemed to have divided into groups of two: Brooke wailing on Luke, demanding answers; Nate chastising Peyton, wanting to know what the fuck she was thinking bringing them here; Clay and Rachel mostly yelling over each other, trying to figure out what had happened. Julian and Chris stood there watching them go off.

"Will you calm the fuck down?" – "No, I want to know the fuck happened!"

"Are you daft or something? What the fuck were you thinking?" – "It's not like that! This is not my fucking fault!"

"You blithering moron, I told you to fucking distract him! One simple task!" – "You didn't tell me shit! How was I supposed to know what was gonna happen!"

Brooke let out a loud, piercing shriek, and everyone quieted down. "Will someone _please_ tell me what just happened?" she pleaded desperately, "And what the fuck are those two doing here?" she added, gesturing towards Julian and Chris.

Julian remained stoically silent. Apparently he'd left the talking to Chris. "Now, what the Keller's doing here is a good question," the guy talked with an unfitting air of self-importance, the kind that made Clay, Nate and Luke want to punch him just because.

"I don't really see why I have to explain myself to any one of you," replied Julian, rolling his eyes –it was annoying when Chris spoke about himself in the third person.

Peyton glared at both of them and immediately shut up, "Chris is here because I got him this gig." She admitted, only to be bombarded by a glares from the rest of them, "Julian, I take no responsibility for, he wasn't even supposed to come to _Durham_, let alone the party."

"So what the hell happened?" questioned Nate. He and Brooke had been outside, and they'd missed the entire fight.

Clay crossed his arms over his chest, "Douche Bag over there," he said, nodding towards Julian, "got a little too close for comfort with Hales. When Jake saw him he lost it, but it wasn't until Douchey got to talking-back that Jake decked him. Anyway," he shrugged, "Caveman pulled Jay off, and…the other tool" –he motioned to Chris– "got his boy in check, and then you two came in, and Jake left, and Haley left, and now here we are." He let out a breath, "And telling me to keep Jake busy is not the same as 'warning me this would happen'!" he added, glaring at Rachel.

Luke scoffed, "Screw this," he hissed, "I'm gonna go find Haley." He turned to Peyton, "This is _your_ mess –I mean, you brought them here. You clean it up, Peyt." Brooke ran off after him.

The curly-haired blonde got a hold of Chris and Julian's arms and dragged them out, it seemed that everyone was gonna be blaming her for this, though she really had no idea that Julian had tagged along. As far as she knew, he had stayed behind at the last concert in LA.

Clay, Nate and Rachel stared at each other awkwardly wondering what they were supposed to do now. "You're such a dick!" spat out Rachel as a very late reply to Clay's earlier accusation that she hadn't warned him about what was going on.

"No," Clay scoffed, "For once, I agree with Luke-ass, screw this! I am not in this –it's not my mess… So you two deal with it." He stormed off and five seconds later, Rachel too stormed off in the opposite direction.

Nate looked around the now empty room and released a sigh. "So…" he spoke aloud to himself, "That went well."

-xx-

Outside, Brooke had caught up with Luke and gripped his arm, forcing him to stop and talk to her. "Will you stop for a second?" she growled out, "I wanna come with you, I want to make sure Hales is okay."

"This isn't your business, Brooke. I've got this." Replied Luke coldly, almost cruelly, "Go back to the party, have a good time."

"Oh, come _on_! Can't we try to be civil this one time?"

Luke scoffed, rolling his eyes, "We weren't civil before –we weren't buddies, and we sure as hell weren't friends… Why bother now?" he ran outside and left her standing there. This time she didn't ran off after him.

Once more, Brooke felt the urge to cry, but her tear ducts seemed to be too proud to surrender into the instinct –'cause Brooke Davis was above that crap. So she left the party, too…right now, she just wanted to be somewhere quiet and peaceful and away from the crowd.

Clay stood there wondering if he should now go and fulfill his best friend duties and knockout Luke again, or if it'd be best to just go find Brooke.

Releasing a sigh, he opted for the latter –in his eyes, Luke Scott wasn't worth it.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

Clay climbed out onto the roof and spotted Brooke sitting there, her knees clutched tightly against her chest –she was shivering, but she didn't seem to be aware of it. He took off his coat and carefully draped it over her shoulders, snapping her out of her trance-like stare at the horizon.

"I figured I'd find you up here," he announced, as he sat next to her, crossing his arms over his knees. "This is where you like to disappear to when you want to be alone and think."

Brooke stayed quiet for a couple of minutes and then straightened. "I really should go check on Haley. I should at least call her. I should call Jake, too. He was really mad." She said matter-of-factly.

"You know Jake, when he doesn't want to be found, he pulls off one hell of a disappearing act. And Luke's got Hales, he's her best friend, he has her back." Assured Clay, wrapping an arm around Brooke's shoulder, "And I've got yours." She fell into another silence, and then Clay added, "I know you weren't all happy and perky during break. Your brother called me, he said something was off about you."

"Ugh!" Brooke groaned, resting her forehead on her knees, "He did not. He's such a frigging meddler."

Clay chuckled, "Don't get mad at Junior, he's trying to look out for you. And he was just worried." he said, "I'm worried, too. I, um, I saw the whole thing with Luke back at Dead Man's. I've never liked him, but that doesn't mean you can't talk to me about it."

"Luke's an asshole."

"Oh, I wholeheartedly concur," he said, grinning, and that got a little smile out of her, "C'mon, Dimples. It's me, your Clay-Bear. You tell me everything. I know you only get all doleful with Junior, but I'm here."

Brooke sighed. Clay Evans might have been her best friend, but Junior Davis was her knight in shining armor. Every Christmas since they were five they'd snuck downstairs in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, unwrapped their presents, and then rewrapped them again (back when their parents still bothered to do family Christmas). They'd crashed their father's Porsche into a trench and left it there, later swearing they had no idea how it ended up like that. They'd camped out on the beach and stayed up till dawn on warm summer nights, concocting questionable drinks, and drunkenly solving the great problems of the universe. If Brooke was going to be sad with anyone, she would choose Junior. Her brother had always understood her better than anyone else (excluding Clay, of course).

Clay had always been there for everything else and he could read her better than she thought. "Alright, don't tell me, be like that," he smiled coyly, "Do you miss him, is that it?"

"No." she answered automatically, "I guess I don't miss _him_, per se. I miss the silly things. Like him driving with his hand on my knee, and when we'd read together." Brooke chuckled, "And I _really_ miss all the hot nights in the back of his car when he was all over me –the taste, and the scent, and the feel of him on top of me. And I miss waking up with someone, which surprised even me 'cause you know I think sex and cuddling don't mix." She paused, her eyes staring straight ahead, as if trying to see something far, far away. "Honestly, I didn't see this coming. When it ended I thought I'd feel free, and _I do_." She immediately amended, "But sometimes there's also, I don't know, like a sense of…longing."

"It's human to miss that stuff, Dimples," Clay assured with a somewhat out of place certainty, coming from the guy who'd never dated someone for more than a week. "Maybe you're growing up."

Brooke shook her head, "That's not it. Come on, I'm Brooke-freaking-Davis. When have you ever seen me pine over someone?"

"You're not pinning. It's okay if what he said hurt you, that doesn't make you weak, B." he stated with an oddly earnest tone, "It's just one of those fucked up situations, I guess."

The brunette laughed, leaning her head on Clay's broad shoulder, "I'm done being sad. So I got dumped," She shrugged, "It was bound to happen at some point." she smiled, "And, y'know, Junior's not the only one I can be desolate and doleful with. You're my best friend, my other brother."

Clay chuckled and leaned down to kiss the top of her head –in Brooke-talk, that was 'I love you'. "Aw, I love you, too, Dimples."

Brooke sighed, "God, I'm such a drama queen! This isn't even about me, it's supposed to be about Haley and yet here we are."

Clay stood up, extending a hand out to her, "Sometimes it's about other people, sometimes it's about you. The balance is always shifting. That's life for ya." Brooke gripped his hand and stood up. Clay slipped, and she pulled him up, both of them screaming at the top of their lungs in fear of falling.

They jumped in through the window and landed clumsily on the bed, both of them laughing, "Ow, okay, we need to find another spot for these midnight chats." Admitted Clay.

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, but what fun would that be?"

-xx-

**Friday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Haley was curled up in the porch swing of the Phi Delt house. She'd discarded her heels long ago, and dry mascara from the tears she'd spilled earlier now stained cheeks.

Luke sat down next to her, and stared straight ahead, "Rough night, huh, Hales?"

The honey-blonde leaned forward and Luke pulled her in for a hug, rubbing circles on her back. "It's all gonna be okay," he repeated over and over, as if it were a mantra, "Jake's gonna come around, he just needs time to process. It's not your fault that douche made a sudden comeback."

"I should've told him I ran into Julian," Haley admitted, "We're beyond all that secret crap now. But I didn't want to say anything, I thought he'd just go away, but I should've known better. Julian's not the kind to give up easily." At this point she was mostly talking to herself, and Luke was doing his best friend duty of listening without judgment. "God, I haven't seen Jake punch-somebody-out mad in over two years."

Luke flashed her a smile, "Yeah, I forgot he had a pretty decent right hook," he said, "He knows to put his weight behind the punch to really knock the other guy down."

Haley laughed, dryly, "Oh, god, Luke…"

The brooding blonde sighed, he hated seeing his best friend sad. Ever since he was a little kid, whenever Haley cried, he felt a little discombobulated. He was never quite sure about he was supposed to do –what the appropriate response to a woman crying was. "It'll all be fine, Hales. C'mon, what can I do to help?"

"I need you to be a girl for me." Haley said seriously, normally she'd talk to Brooke about this, but this wasn't familiar territory for the brunette and she didn't want to put her friend on the spot.

Luke sighed, "Sure, alright, I can do that. What do you want? Want me to kick his ass. 'Cause I can, you know. I mean, I've been trying to cut back on the violence, but I'll make an exception." Yeah, a distressed Haley also made him a little twitchy, "Just tell me what to do."

"Well, actually, I just need you to stay here and talk to me for a little while." She said, releasing a small chuckle. Why was it that the boys' only answer to every question was violence?

Luke smiled warmly, "I think I can manage that."

"And maybe check on Jake later, too?" Haley added, swinging her feet up on Luke's lap, "I really wanna go after him, but I know he needs his time to cool off right now."

"Hales, there's very few things I'm sure of, but this I know: you and Jay always make it work. Always have, always will –you love each other too much to let it go to waste. It'll all work out."

The honey-blonde fixed his gaze on him, "Yeah, but right now it just feels…_totally fucked_."

-xx-

**Friday  
Pierpont Lake**

Peyton dumped Chris and Julian back at the motel where they'd been staying. Apparently, Julian hadn't stayed behind in LA as they'd agreed. Instead, he'd actually followed them back to Durham to record the last official show and, upon seeing Haley, decided to crash for a few extra days along with Chris.

Honestly, Peyton didn't feel she owed anyone else any explanations. Anyone but Jake that is, he was clearly pissed and she wanted to clear things up with him.

Jake had always been her third brother. And while Nate and Luke where excellent at beating up any guy that ever hurt her, Jake was the one who actually talked to her about it (because her brothers beating the shit out of someone only did so much to help her emotional state). And though they did grow apart a little in college, she still cared about their friendship.

"I knew I'd find you here," she commented as she sat down next to him on the small bridge. "This is, like, the one spot in town that everyone else hasn't discovered."

Jake grabbed another pebble and bounced it into the lake. "Well, technically you found it. You're the one who wanted to explore on your first day."

"And you're the only one who volunteered to come along with me."

"Why are you here, Peyt?" he asked gruffly, it didn't escape him that Julian and that other guy had been with her at the party, and he really didn't feel like hearing a half-assed apology.

Peyton sighed, "Look, I know you like to have your time to think and calm down, but I just wanted you to know that I didn't bring him here. I had no idea he'd crash the party. I wouldn't do that to you. And Hales, she just…you remember how Julian is. He kinda gets inside your head. I'm sure she just wanted to avoid a fight –granted that didn't turn out so good, but she meant well."

"Yeah, I know, I just…ugh! I can't stand that guy. Even before he ever started dating Hales, he was always such a…" he paused, "douchebag!" they finished simultaneously.

Peyton put her hand over Jake's in a reassuring way, "Look, he's still an ass, but he's not that bad. We hung out on the road and, I don't know, we're friends now...kind of." She said, "I still got your back, though. And you shouldn't even sweat it because Chris wants to get out of here now, which means Julian will go with him, and that'll be that."

"That'll be that."

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Nate pulled the spare key off the doorframe and let himself into the apartment. After everyone had basically bailed on the party in a fit, he figured this is where Rachel would disappear to.

The redhead was currently sprawled on the couch, wrapped up in her favorite throw blanket, and watching an old Audrey Hepburn movie he didn't recognize.

"Hey, Red," he greeted, "Funny running into you here," he commented, sitting down next to her and kicking off his shoes, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Rachel had this weird, calm stare, her coffee-brown eyes seemingly blank and her lips slightly curved up into a bland, smirk-y smile that seemed to mean everything and nothing at the same time. It had always annoyed the shit out of him.

But for tonight, he was willing to let it slide. For some reason, Haley and Jake's problems seeped into the whole group and affected everyone's dynamic. It just threw everyone off, Haley & Jake were the constant.

"C'mon, so the party was weird, and Clay was a dick –it's part of his charm, you used to like it." Nate tried to joke, but she didn't appear to notice.

Instead Rachel just stared at the movie, "I've always loved Holly Golightly. It's one of the few books I've actually bothered to read, and I really like that character."

"Alright," Nate leaned forward and turned the TV off, "Not that I'm not in the mood to chat about fake people from books, but how about you tell me what's up with ya. It's not like you to leave a party early, no matter who fought with who."

Rachel shrugged, "I got bored."

"Okay, I can go one of two ways here, either I can push you a little and get you to spill or I can do the pretend-everything's-fine thing and force myself to finish watching…" his voice trailed off, "what is this crap?" he asked, gesturing towards the TV.

"_Breakfast At Tiffany's_. You're such a dufus sometimes… I'm not bothered, it's just weird to see them fight. Seeing Jake fighting with that guy and Hales standing in the background reminded me of when my parents got divorced. A lot of really bad, hostile memories."

Nate suppressed a chuckle because this was the first time he'd ever seen Rachel actually getting emotional and it was over some mommy-and-daddy issues. "Look, you really don't need to be worried about that. Jake and Hales are, like, meant to be together. They'll fix this, they always do… This isn't your parents pt. 2."

He threw an arm around her shoulder and she rested her head on his shoulder. Logically she knew he was right. But here in Durham, her tiny apartment with Brooke and Haley, was the only place that really felt like a home. It wasn't boarding school on the other side of the world and it wasn't her empty New York penthouse or her dad's Seattle house or her mother's place in LA, where she always felt like an unwanted guest. She didn't want anything to change here.

"Cheer up, Red," said Nate sweetly, nudging her playfully, "And just so you know, you look way hotter than Angelina Jolie ever did in _Wanted_." This comment brought a smile to her face –he knew Brooke had been teasing her about it before. Look, just take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime offer, because right now I'm up for anything that'll make you get back to your usual annoying self."

Rachel grinned, that mischievous grin that Nate (though it still annoyed him), found pretty hot, "Watch the rest of _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ with me?"

He groaned, "Fine." A few more minutes into the movie, Rachel was back to her old self, and was visibly gloating over the fact that he had promised to watch the entire movie with her.

Nate stealthily pulled out his Nerf gun, and pulled the trigger. The small foam dart bounced of the redhead's forehead, and he flashed her a smirk. "_Gotcha_."


	21. Past Revisited

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Major shout-outs to all the reviewers –you guys rock my socks. Here's the next chapter, (sorry for the delay, I've had work trouble). There's some flashbacks in this one, hope you enjoy.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Past Revisited  
(move on)_

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke and Clay woke up hungry. The Sigma Chi house had been strangely empty that morning –most guys having ended up sleeping somewhere else (and with someone else).

"Holy shit!" Brooke chuckled when she spotted Lindsay James zonked out on the couch wearing a football jersey. "Who do ya think she hooked up with?"

Clay leaned forward, "Can't see the number on the jersey. And this is Sigma Chi, half the guys here are on the football team."

Brooke smirked, linking arms with Clay and heading off towards the door, "It must've been good to be Lindsay last night." Clay gave her a questioning look, "I haven't gotten laid in a while." She added with an eye roll, and shook her head. "Jeez, what the hell happened to everyone last night? I mean, we all just got so…screwy and…I don't know, I didn't feel like myself."

"Yeah, well," Clay shrugged, "I blame that Lysol crap that Duke was mixing. Never drink shit that tastes like cleaning products."

-xx-

They ended up grabbing breakfast at the small off-campus dinner they usually went to. Clay was still in his _Pulp Fiction_ suit (though the coat was now wrapped around Brooke), and Brooke was dressed as Sydney Bristow (minus the wig), her hair thrown back in a lazy ponytail.

The waitress eyed them curiously, but handed them their menus without commenting on their outfits. She ordered pancakes, he ordered French toast (and then they switched them). After popping a few Advils and downing their weight in coffee, they were ready to start the day.

"Ugh, everything hurts," protested Brooke, emptying another sugar pack into her cup. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Clay shrugged, "Go home. Change… Avoid gotcha guns." He suggested offhand, "You should probably check in on Hales now."

"Hey, what's the deal with you and Rae?" Brooke asked, sipping her coffee absentmindedly. "Everything's gone all kablooey as of late and I don't even know what's happening anymore."

"Well: Hales and Jay are in a fight, Rae's pissed at me, _everyone_'s pissed at Peyton, and you're just…pissy." explained Clay, going over the list in his mind, "And I think that sums it up."

Brooke scoffed, "Thanks for the recap, Captain Obvious." She said, "I gotta go, though. I desperately need a shower."

Clay tossed a few twenties on the table and followed her outside. She coerced him into loaning her his car so she wouldn't have to walk back to her apartment. No one was immune to the charms of Brooke Davis.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Nate let out a long groan as he rubbed his neck. Sleeping on the couch? Not that comfortable. Rachel shifted on his lap and he shook her awake, "Red," he muttered, "C'mon, up and at 'em."

Rachel sat up with a groan, raking her fingers through her hair, "Ugh, what time is it?" Her throat felt dry and she could feel the beginning of a hangover headache faintly pounding on her temples.

"Noon." Declared Nate, standing up and stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. They checked the rooms and discovered that they were the only ones in the apartment. Neither Haley nor Brooke's bed appeared to have been slept in.

They dialed the girls' cell phones, but both went straight to voicemail. Which wasn't unusual, but given the fact that last night had been so ass-backwards, Rachel wasn't sure if she should've been worried or not.

She watched quizzically as Nate talked to someone on the phone. "Hey, its me… Look, is Hales there? …Good, I'll tell 'em. Thanks. Bye." He turned to face Rachel, "Haley crashed in Luke's room. She's doing better now, and she'll be here soon."

"Look at you getting all the info," Rachel deadpanned, "Nice going, Sherlock."

Nate smirked, "Guess that makes you Watson," he countered, shrugging on his coat, "And I'm gonna split before Hales gets here –girl drama? Not really my thing." he gave her a peck goodbye and smacked her butt in his usual playful manner.

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you always try to cop a feel?"

"Reflex."

-xx-

Half an hour later, all three roommates were squished next to each other on the now seemingly all-too-small couch. Rachel and Brooke wanted to be supportive and help Haley through this. The problem was that they'd never really had friends with these sort of issues, and they'd never had any relationship trouble before either (not having serious relationships came with such benefits). So now they sat there, neither one knowing quite what to say or what was appropriate to ask.

"I really appreciate the awkward silence and the unspoken words of encouragement, guys, but really I'm fine," said Haley after a few minutes. "I stayed at the Phi Delt house with Luke. Jake and I are meeting up in a while. Last night was a blowout, but we'll work it out. Believe it or not, Jake and I _have_ fought before and we're still together."

Brooke scrunched up her nose, "Well, what about Scruffy and Rocker Boy? What's gonna happen with them?"

"They are…not my problem," replied Haley automatically, "I guess they'll have to go back to LA or wherever soon, but I'm not involved in that." After a beat she stood up and flashed them a smile. "C'mon, you two, stop worrying. I'm fine now. And I really should go shower and change now because I don't want to be late."

And then there were two… Rachel propped her feet up on the coffee table, picking up the practically untouched coffee cup that Haley had left behind. "Where'd you disappear to last night?"

"Clay's room," replied Brooke, also propping her feet up on the table, "Luke and I had words –_angry_ words. And Clay's always had a very soothing effect on me." they both chuckled, and remained silent for a while. "Rae, what's wrong with us?"

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with _you_, but there's nothing wrong with me."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Alright, then what's wrong with me? I've been pissy and bitter and bitchy–"

"–you're always bitchy." Cut in Rachel with her annoying matter-of-fact tone.

"Point is, this is not me. I'm cheery and sunny and…I don't bitch and moan about guys I _used_ to sleep with."

Rachel sighed. True, relationships were far from her area of expertise, but she was an expert on all things Brooke Davis. They'd seen each other trough a lot –both of their parents shipped them off to boarding school in Paris and they'd become fast friends. Neither Brooke nor Rachel had, had any girlfriends before. They commanded the attention of everyone everywhere they went, other girls just didn't cotton too well to that. So they made a ton of guy friends, and they had each other, and that had always been enough.

"Maybe that's 'cause he isn't 'some guy you used to sleep with'. For better or worse, Luke Scott was a relationship –your first real, official, grown-up relationship. And it ended really abruptly, if not a little ambiguously because you still haven't spilled all the details about that. I mean, personally, I couldn't stand the guy –he was kind of a tool– but even the blind could see he actually cared about you. So you tell me, was he a fling you got a little attached to, like a habit, or was there something more going on there?"

Rachel had always been the one to tell it to her straight –she'd never been any good at coddling and subtlety. She was blunt, it was her thing. In her mind, the roles were clear: Clay babied Brooke, and Rachel snapped her back to reality.

"Luke scared me…" the brunette declared after a few minutes of contemplative silence. "And he shouldn't have. I'm Brooke Davis. I'm not that girl. I'm not built that way –I don't get scared. I'm _me_! I've traveled all over the world and had private tutors in French and Latin and Spanish. I swim, I read, I write. I suck at math, and yeah, I've done some acting. But I can't really think of a time when I was truly scared. But then with him it all got so real. And he…_wanted_ me –and not in the horny-lust kind of way– he wanted _me_. Not the Davis Montgomery, daughter of Kenneth and Victoria Davis. Not Brooke Davis, the captain of the cheer squad. Not Brooke Davis, the good-time girl. He just wanted _me_. Brooke. And _what_ the _fuck _was I supposed to do with that?"

Rachel held back a scoff, "Look who you're asking."

"All I know is that I'm tired of feeling like this –I'm tired of feeling bad about the whole thing and I'm tired of fighting with him or trying to put the blame about why we ended on something else. I mean, I _know_ I messed up. I just didn't think it was that big a deal."

Rachel sighed, "Well, if anyone should know this it's us: just because someone messes up once, it doesn't mean that within time they can't find a way to make things better." She said seriously, "What're you gonna do now?"

"Now? I do what we always do, Rae, what we've always done," Brooke stood up, her tone determinate, "We do not wallow. We move on."

Rachel repeated, "We move on." Brooke only offered her a nod, "What does that mean?"

"It means I stop talking about it and thinking about it, I stop being _that _girl." stated Brooke, "It's over. Right?" It wasn't a question.

"Right." The redhead nodded. (Except she knew that it wasn't. Brooke had never been able to leave things unsettled, and the Luke thing was definitely unsettled. She groaned, "Ugh, I feel like a need a drink. Don't you feel like you need a drink right now?"

"It's not even one o'clock yet." Commented Brooke, glancing at a watch. They leaned back into the couch and three their heads onto the cushions. After a beat, Brooke stood up, "Screw it. Tequila, vodka, wine?" It's not like they hadn't gotten drunk early in the day before.

"Dealer's choice."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sniffy's Tavern**

It was a well-known fact that everyone had a spot in town. Haley knew that Brooke & Luke had a bar were they always met up; Rachel & Nate had cornered the Starbucks down by the pier; Clay & Brooke met up at a diner called Toast; Owen & Rachel had a bar; hell, even Peyton & Jake had a place (some lake, she thought, though she couldn't quite remember the specifics).

So, it was only natural for Jake & Haley (Jaley, as everyone teased them) to have a place, too. An old tavern rebuilt into a café, Sniffy's Tavern. Haley had gotten there early, but she immediately spotted Jake there already. He was sitting in their booth, sipping a cup of coffee.

She sat down and noticed that he'd already ordered her a caramel cappuccino –some habits were hard to break (even when they were fighting).

Haley winced when she saw his hand, he'd bruised his knuckles. Brooke's logic was right –nobody ever thought about how punching someone hurt the puncher. "God! How's your hand?" she'd slipped right into nurture-mode, and grabbed his hands to inspect them up close, "Did you ice it? You have a small cut there so you need to put something on it."

Despite himself, Jake smiled at the concern, "Nah, I kinda hadn't noticed." He said, opening and closing his hand a couple of times, "It hasn't really bothered me until now."

"Look, I'm just going to say it straight out," Haley sighed, "I was wrong. I should've told you he was in town the moment I found out. But, I don't know, I saw him and it was like we were back in high school and I just wanted to avoid a fight –which worked out real well, by the way– and I figured that if I ignored it, it'd go away."

Jake shifted in his seat, "And I get that, Hales, I do." He assured her, "But, ugh! I hate that guy. I've always hated him –even before you started dating him, I thought he was a douche. And then I find out he's here because he's trying to get all in your face and then he goes 'aw, she didn't tell ya I was here? Guess she_ still _doesn't tell ya everything', and I just lost it. I thought we were done with the whole not-communicating stuff." He sighed, "Didn't we leave all that crap behind in Tree Hill?"

"And we are! We did!" interjected Haley immediately, "Jay, Julian's a rolling stone. That guys he's in town with is with some band. They'll probably leave soon, and even if they don't, I have no interesting in seeing him again. He's a cocky asshole and I no longer find those qualities attractive," she joked in an attempt to lighten the mood, but then she turned serious, "I love _you_, Jake. You're my guy, you've always been my guy."

"I know. I love you, too," he said, bringing one of her hands to his lips and kissing it, he smirked, "Get over here," he said, motioning to the spot next to him.

Haley smiled and immediately moved to the other side of the booth. She wrapped her arms around Jake's waist and he threw an arm around her shoulders. They'd always fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. "I missed you last night." she murmured into his chest.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for bailing like that," he responded, kissing the top of her head, "I guess you're not the only one who was suddenly back in high school."

Haley chuckled and let out a sigh of relief –they were good again and things were back to normal.

Though there was still a little voice gnawing in the back of her mind. Because Julian was still in town, and Julian usually equaled trouble.

-xx-

**Monday  
Greek Row**

Greek Row was abuzz with movement. Gotcha had been going on for four days now and the competition was already thinning out. Brooke and Rachel walked over to the Sigma Chi house and the brunette was constantly whipping around to check her surroundings.

"Oh, will you quit it!" ordered Rachel, "You're making me dizzy, and I'm pretty sure no one is out to get you."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You're just mad 'cause Nate already got ya, and I'm still in the game. And this year I _will_ get the party at Al's thrown in my honor. I mean it –this time around I'm all crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon serious. I am in _the zone_. I'm so in the zone that _Another One Bites The Dust_ should be playing in the background as I walk."

"Yeah, I'm sure," jested Rachel with an eye roll, "If Freddie Mercury were alive, he'd be rewriting it to say: Brooke walks wearily down the street." she said sarcastically, "Now c'mon, _killer_," she linked arms with the brunette and dragged her into the Sigma Chi house.

This is what Brooke had been doing for the past few days. Going back to her old routine: hanging out with the boys in her spare time, partying on the weekend, and screwing around with Rachel. Things were getting back to normal.

And normal was the watchword.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

Nate, Clay, Jake, Rachel and Haley crowded a corner booth at Al's. The group was on their second pint of beer, laughing loudly and arguing back and forth. Watched from afar it seemed like they were debating something serious. Up close, though, they were just shooting the shit.

"No, no, no, no," Clay said, shaking his head, "It's your middle name and your mother's maiden name."

Haley huffed, "You have got it _all_ wrong! It's the name of your first pet and your mother's maiden name." she declared seriously, "_That_ is how you get your porn name."

"Oh, who cares?" cut in Rachel, clearly bored of the debate, "Lets just say 'em both, and then we'll pick the one that sounds best." They all nod and mumble in agreement. Haley kicks it off, "Well, either Bunny Brigard or Bob Brigard."

Clay furrowed his brow curiously, "Mine's Rich Gabor…I can't remember my pet's name. It was a puppy, but I'm drawing a total blank. It was named after some book…"

"Charley," declared Brooke, crawling in the booth with them, "I got him for you on your tenth birthday. Named him after a John Steinbeck novel."

Clay nodded, "Right, so either Richard or Charley Gabor. Dimples' is…Penelope Montgomery. And your first pet was that goldfish?"

"No! It was a hamster. You remember, I almost got suspended for liberating them from the lab, but then I didn't because the school found all but one?" said Brooke, "My hamster Hornby!"

Jake scrunched up his nose, "I'm Spike Garret." He declared, "I don't have a middle name."

"At least its all yours, my first pet was a Christmas gift for me _and _Luke." chimed in Nate, "So we're _both_ Rocket Roe. That's pathetic."

Haley cooed, "Aw! I loved Rocket!"

Rachel laughed at the honey-blonde's reaction, "Well, my middle name's Virginia and my mother's maiden name is Shepherd, and I had that cat when I was little –Chess."

"Virginia Shepherd." Repeated Clay with a chuckle, "That sounds like it's from bad porn from the days of yore."

After a couple more minutes and plenty of more beer, they'd lost sight of why they'd ever thought that figuring out their porn names would be a fun idea. Brooke beat the guys in a couple of days of pool, then Rachel sprung for another round of drinks, and they were all crammed into the booth again.

"Mmm," murmured Brooke, sipping her tall red drink, "This week's gonna be slow. We should do something. Go out of town, go on a road trip or something –ooh!" she exclaimed, turning to Rachel, "This morning, I got an invite to the Haydens' wedding-vow-renewal-ceremony thing! You guys can all be my plus-one."

The redhead furrowed her brow, "Who the hell are the Haydens and why would we wanna go to their wedding renewal?"

"I don't know, some family friend or something…" replied Brooke with a shrug, "When my parents are out of town the invites come either to me or to Junior. And we wouldn't be going for the wedding _per se_. The point is to spend a few days in New York. It'll be fun!" she turned to Haley, "Come on, Tutor Girl, we can catch a musical –I know you like those 'cause you're always blasting the soundtrack of something or other in the apartment."

If you coerced Haley, everyone else would eventually give in, too.

Clay pouted, "I can't go, I've got a game Friday." He said with an unusually whiny tone. "But I can totally hook you guys up with tickets, though."

"I can't go," added Jake, "And Rach can't go, either. We got that monograph and that oral presentation for Benson's class –you know he's not let us blow it off."

Rachel groaned, "Ugh! I'd totally forgotten about that."

"Well, the trip sounds a lot less fun now…" muttered Brooke, leaning back into the chair.

"Nah, c'mon, you, Hales and Nate can still go," said Jake, throwing an arm around the honey-blonde's shoulders, "And if you're actually gonna road-trip-it to New York, you can borrow my car –it's definitely bigger than B's beetle."

"Aw, are you sure, babe?" asked Haley, looking up at Jake, "It won't be the same without you, and I don't want to leave you behind."

Jake nodded, "Yeah, definitely. This way I'll get all my work out of the way, and next week, I'm all yours."

"Aw, aren't you two cute?" cooed Brooke with a smile, "And, Jay-Jay, we'll take you up on the wheels. We can leave Friday, I get outta class around 10." She turned to Nate, "You in, Moody, or are you also otherwise engaged?"

Nate took a pull from his beer, "I ain't got nothing better to do." He shrugged, "New York here we come." They laughed and clinked their drinks together. They could all use some fun, and now seemed the perfect time to take a break from reality.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Luke finished pulling himself inside, and closed the window. He made a mental note to tell Haley that the locks on the bedroom windows were way too easy to pick.

"Dawg, Imma say this again," stated Skills with a serious tone, "sneakin' in here's a dumbass plan and I ain't down with it."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Dude, it was your idea –I mean, she's _your_ target. I just volunteered to come with. Relax already."

Luke and Skills were the self-proclaimed kings of this year's Gotcha game. Luke had eliminated over fifteen guys. Skills had eliminated ten, and the last one –Matt– had passed Brooke Davis onto him as a target.

Skills scoffed, and paced around the room taking it in. "So this is B. Davis' world, huh? Different than what I expected –baby girl keeps it simple." He commented, looking around the room. With the exceptions of all the books and a few posters, it was pretty minimal. "And I always thought she was a tchotchke kind of girl."

Luke stayed silent for a minute, taking in the room where he'd only slept in a total of five times. "Well, when you have no soul you don't crave the comfort of sentimental knickknacks." He replied detachedly.

Skills didn't bother to comment –his firm philosophy being that 'if B and Luke ain't fightin' they ain't happy'. He opened a few drawers and poked around them, pausing when he found a red box with a photo-booth picture sticking out of it. "Damn, ya'll liked it freaky!"

"What?" Luke snatched the picture out of his hand, smirking at the sight, that night's fuzzy memories flooding back to him.

_It was the Phi Delt Mardi Gras party of their freshman year. They'd had one too many drinks at the ice-luge and Luke was fuming because Brooke had been earning beads left and right all night (he was also pretty sure she'd made out with every single guy in his house, plus a few from other houses). _

_Brooke had lost her top long ago (claiming that it was best to just cut to the chase), and now walked around in a black bra that read BEAD ME, her Mardi Gras mask was propped up on her head and she had over forty necklaces on her neck, plus the ones she'd tangled around her wrists. _

_When Luke saw that she was about to make out with Dick Casablancas, he stepped in and pulled her away –she'd have to be completely trashed to stoop that low. _

"_Heeeeeey!" she greeted, tripping into his arms. "How ya doin', Broodster?" _

_Luke rolled his eyes, "God, you are completely juiced right now, aren't you?" It was statement, not a question. "How many guys have seen the twins tonight?" He asked, playfully palming her breasts. _

"_Aw!" she beamed, "You are _so_ cute when you're jealous…"_

_He chuckled, the fiery brunette never paid him a complement. "Oh, yeah, you're definitely drunk."_

"_Relax, loverboy, you're the only one I want to play with tonight." Brooke laughed, grabbing his hand and leading him out back. Logan had rented out a photo-booth in an attempt to 'record memories'. _

_She'd dragged him in there and positioned herself on his lap. A little column consisting of four small pictures: one of them laughing their asses off, one of Brooke kissing him fiercely, one of them with their Mardi Gras masks on, and the final one where it appeared he'd buried his face in her breasts. (Actually, someone had rocked the booth and his face kind of landed there). _

"Motorboatin'?" said Skills with a smirk, "Ya'll are freaky-freaks, dawg!"

Luke smiled, "Something like that," he said, putting the picture back in the drawer –he'd thought it'd been lost in the haze of the party and was _really_ surprised she'd kept it all this time.

Then, Skills voiced the unsaid thought, "Maybe B. Davis ain't as soulless as you think she is. Maybe baby girl just got issues." Luke gave him a look, "Relax, I ain't saying she's right or justified or whatever, I'm saying maybe there's a side ya don't know. And that's _all_ I'm sayin'."

Before he could reply, the bedroom door opened to reveal Rachel wielding a spatula as if it were a bat and she was ready to attack them any second now. "What the –Hales," she called out, "don't call security. It's just Grumpy and Dopey. What are you two morons doing in here?"

Skills rocked on his heels, muttering, "This is all you, dawg," to Luke who only smiled, "Uh…we're here for…" the blonde stuttered, failing to come up with a plausible excuse.

Rachel spotted the gotcha gun tucked in the back of Skills' jeans and smirked, "Oh god, is this an ambush?" she shook her head and took the gun away from him, "You two are pathetic. _Out_." She ordered, "Move it, if you get outta here in ten seconds, I won't tell Brooke that you were in here."

Haley watched as Rachel marched them out and waved them goodbye, laughing at the sight. The Gotcha game was nearing its end and that was the time when everyone started thinking they were the new 007 and things got just a little bit crazy.

-xx-

Brooke got in late from the library. She had a paper due tomorrow and had been cramming and doing research since five am –that was one of the downside of procrastination, the work pilled up. She walked into her room without a word wanting to crash on her bed until the next day, but almost as soon as she slammed the door closed, she opened it again. "Who was in my room?"

"Told you she'd be able to tell," stated Haley without looking up from her notes, "She's, like, part hound or something."

Rachel shrugged, "Eh, I owe you five bucks." Brooke gave her an expectant look, "Some Phi Delts broke in to try to ambush you." relented the redhead, "Don't worry, though. We kicked them out, and Owen came over to fix the window bolt. It's all good now."

"Ugh, you know what sucks," moaned Brooke, "I'm too tired to care." She said, closing the bedroom door once more.

A few minutes later, Rachel walked in, turned the light on and plopped herself on the bed next to her, "Hey, I need a book."

Brooke opened one eye, "And there are how many libraries on campus?" she said, covering her head with a pillow.

"Yeah, but you know how that is. The back cover _looks_ interesting, but then the book is exceedingly dull and then I have to go return and get a new one and then the whole process starts all over again." explained the redhead, "Anyway, the stupid advisor said I_ had_ to take a writing class so I signed up for creative writing, which was _supposed_ to be a walk, but it isn't. Now the professor wants me to write an essay about a book that has influenced my outlook on life or some crap like that –I don't read, I'm a numbers girl. You're the bookworm, so I am coming to you to get something readable."

The brunette groaned, "Easton Ellis is good for a little decadence. Henry Miller's kinda smutty. Take your pick."

"Smutty, please," responded Rachel automatically. "Where's that?" Brooke gestured to a drawer on her desk. "Whoa, when was this taken?" Rachel asked, plopping down on bed again and waving a photo strip in her friend's face.

Brooke sat up and took a look, "It's from a party freshman year." She answered handing the photos back to Rachel, a little smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Honestly, she remembered that night a little too well considering how hammered she was.

_It was before Luke had officially moved in, so he'd dragged her into Logan's room, which was empty for the night. Normally they wouldn't have risked getting caught, but she was drunk and they were horny, and at least they'd made it into a room. _

_Luke kicked the door closed, and pulled her up into a kiss. It was hard, fast, sensuous, his lips crashing against hers possessively, hungrily. He lifted her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist. _

_They don't get a chance to make it onto the bed or even the floor because Luke had already pinned her against the locked door. He finally got his jeans off just as she pulled out a condom from god knows where. And then her excuse for a skirt is hiked up around her waist, and her panties are discarded somewhere on the floor. _

_It felt like the whole world stopped when he sank down into her, and the brunette can't hold back a moan because Luke always knew how to hit all her spots. _

_They kept their rhythm is hard and steady (they'd never been gentle), and she clawed at his back and he nibbled on her neck. And when they finally collapsed, it was on the floor (they didn't make it to the bed all night)._

_Brooke was splayed across his chest, struggling to catch her breath, "Well," she panted, "I think I'm all fucked out." She said jokingly. _

"_Yeah, well, give me a few minutes," Luke chuckled, "I can go on all night."_

"Hey!" Rachel snapped her fingers, waving a hand in front of the brunette's face, "Earth to B. Davis. You with us?" Brooke shook her head, nodding absentmindedly. "Trip down memory lane?" inquired the redhead.

Brooke shook her head more definitely this time, "Nah, um, no, just…uh, I'm really tired, I guess. I'm gonna crash, can you turn off the light on your way out?"

Rachel eyed her friend suspiciously, "Sure thing, B," she said, flicking the switch off, "Naughty dreams, bitch."

-xx-

**Friday  
Duke University**

The professor paced in front of the classroom, "Alright, ladies and gentleman," he said, checking his watch, "Time is up! I want everybody to finish reading Ulysses, and we'll wrap up the discussion next week." He said, the students already clearing out, "And remember, people, _read_! I might decide to act like a real professor and quiz you next class."

Luke jogged to catch up to Brooke, "Davis," he greeted, finally catching up to her, "You were real talkative in there."

"Yeah, I actually read the book for today so I knew what he was talking about." Commented Brooke offhand. He nodded, "You need something, Luke?"

"Just catching up," he said with a smirk, "Haven't seen you around much lately. Where've you been disappearing to?"

Brooke nodded, "I've been holed up the library, had a paper due this week." Luke nodded in understanding and there was a somewhat awkward pause, "Um, I should go, I'm gonna be late. I'm going out of town for the weekend."

"Have fun, then."

"Right," replied the brunette with a puzzled look. What was Luke doing? Was it some kind of game? Why was he trying to be friendly with her, hadn't he just said they'd never been friends before?

Then, like word vomit, it spilled out. "I miss you sometimes," Brooke admitted in a whisper, surprising even herself by the confession.

Luke eyed her with glittering navy-blue eyes, "I know," he said, his tone uncharacteristically un-cocky –as if stating a fact rather than bragging about it. "I miss you, too…" after a beat, he added, "Sometimes."

Clearing her throat, Brooke let out a somewhat doleful chuckle, "I guess it hasn't passed yet." She shrugged, saying it more to herself than to him.

"What hasn't?"

With a dimpled smile, she gave him the answer in one seemingly succinct word that somehow captured all the crap that had happened between them. "Us."

Luke eyed her carefully, pausing for a second. "Are you waiting for it to pass, then?" he asked curiously, "Us, I mean."

"Nothing lasts forever, Luke. Everything passes eventually." Responded Brooke somewhat dryly, "And I can imagine it'll pass by a lot quicker for someone who's heartless like me." Luke opened his mouth, but closed it quickly, not wanting to respond anything. "I'll see ya when I see ya, Luke."

He watched her walk away without sparing a glance his way. "Goodbye, Brooke Davis." He said, more to himself than to her, she was halfway out the door by now. This was the most emotion he'd dragged out her in, well…ever. That was gonna be interesting.


	22. Just A Little Girl

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, it's been a really long time and I know that I suck, but my inspiration completely died and my brain shut down. Still, my usual shout outs to every reviewer 'cause you guys are always what motivate me to write. This chapter's a little slow (code word for shitty), but I'm getting my footing again, and it's basically setting things up for the next chapter. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Just A Little Girl_

-xx-

**Saturday  
Al's Backyard**

Rachel took a final pull from her beer bottle and signaled Al to bring her another one. She and Jake were finally done with their oral reports and the monograph, and she'd only sacrificed all of her Friday and her Saturday morning.

Al brought her another Corona and she downed half of it in a single swig. It was Karaoke Saturday and she needed a slight buzz if she was going to tolerate people bellowing and calling it singing.

"You certainly know how to knock 'em back," commented a smooth voice to her right.

She turned to face the guy, a puzzled look settling on her usually composed expression, "Well, if it isn't The Homewrecker." She said, her tone slightly amused –Rachel had always loved drama.

"Ah, The Homewrecker, yes," Julian replied, sipping his drink coolly, "that is my given name. However, hot girls like you get to call me Julian. And what is your name, Gorgeous?"

The redhead raised an eyebrow daringly, "Girl At The Bar." She answered humorlessly, "And what are you doing here? I thought you'd already left town –or was Jake kicking your ass at the party too subtle a hint for you?"

"You're sassy. I like that." he stated matter-of-factly, and proceeded as if she were actually interested, (which she kind of was, even if they were all supposed to hate him on principle, this was the only other guy to grab Haley James' heart –her curiosity was peaked). "Do ya sing, too" –he motioned towards the stage where Dean was belting out the final chorus of _Heat Of The Moment_– "or are you just here to check out the local talent?"

"See, you think you're charming, but it's actually annoying." Julian merely shrugged at her comment, flashing her a grin before walking away.

Rachel was surprised he'd given up that easily. A few seconds later, she recognized his voice coming from the bar's speakers.

"So, this one goes out to the gorgeous Girl At The Bar," Julian said into the microphone on the stage as the opening chords began to play throughout the pub, "_Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name? Hello, I love you, let me jump in your game. Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?_"

Luke sat on the stool to Rachel's left and watched curiously as Julian did his best Morrison imitation (he wasn't half bad, actually). "Please tell me that's not for your benefit," he said, causing the redhead to shift her focus to him.

"I guess I kind of asked for it," Rachel said with a shrug, "Smart-asses like him never really back down easily. And I wouldn't tell him my name, so..."

The blonde took a sip from his Heineken and smirked, "He's nothing if not creative, I'll give the douche that much."

"I'm surprised you haven't beaten the shit out of him yet," she said offhand, "I mean, isn't that what you _do_?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, "I'm trying to quit," he answered casually without so much as a scowl. _New_ Luke was apparently very mellow. Quite frankly, Rachel found it a tad unnerving. "'Sides, Hales told me she'd prefer it if there wasn't anymore violence." He nodded towards the stage, "It'd be so much better if he sucked, wouldn't it? But no, the ass actually has a tenor."

"_Her arms are wicked and her legs are long, when she moves my brain screams out this song!_" Julian now had a small crowd (mostly girls) by the stage eagerly clapping and whooping for him."_Sidewalk crouches at her feet like a dog that begs for something sweet. Do you hope to make her see you, fool? Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel?_"

Rachel shrugged indifferently and turned back to face Luke, figuring it'd be best to not give Julian any more attention. "You do realize that you were screwing my best friend for an entire semester and that this is the first time we've actually talked? –_After_ you dumped her."

"Right…" Luke let his voice trail off. He paused, the conversation he'd had with the brunette yesterday playing over in his mind.

"_And I can imagine it'll pass by a lot quicker for someone who's heartless like me."_ She'd actually sounded hurt, and he'd never seen that on her before –he'd seen her pissed or horny (or both, it was hard to tell sometimes), maybe even happy once or twice, but never sad. She rarely showed any emotion that made her seem human and vulnerable.

Luke had spent his winter break hanging out in the practically empty Phi Delt house. His day was split in two parts: training at the gym during the morning, and partying with Logan Echolls and Rebecca Logan at night. Anything to get the cheery brunette out of his system –whether it was working it off at the gym or drinking it off at Al's or taking home girls from O.P.M.

It was pathetic and he'd always deny it, but he'd somehow ended up on the list of guys that Brooke Davis had left behind heartbroken.

"_I'm not the problem here…you wanna know what the problem is, why this doesn't work? Because you're heartless." Then her smooth hand hit his scruffy cheek and, "That's that, then."_

He still wasn't exactly sure how a year and a half had just ended like that. Most of the time he'd rather not think about it –'cause falling for a girl who was only looking to fool around made him feel like an idiot –but that was the whole point. Lately he thought that maybe she wasn't just looking to fool around and that she did feel something for him, too.

It was then he noticed that Rachel had been staring at him quizzically for a few minutes now, "Um, where'd Brooke go again?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"She's in New York with Hales and Nate," she said with an eye roll, still a little bitter that she missed out on the road trip. Nate had been texting her and sending her pictures of them at the Empire State building and Central Park. They looked like they belonged on a frigging postcard. "And I got left behind 'cause I had to finish a stupid assignment with Jake."

He looked up at her with those enchanting navy-blue eyes, "Does Brooke ever talk about me?"

Rachel only inspected his face for a few seconds. It was a look she knew all too well, the wounded puppy dog look. "She doesn't." she said, her tone seemingly cold, then she sighed, "But B doesn't talk about that stuff, you should know that."

Throughout four weeks of break and a few weeks back at school, Brooke had only touched the subject once (and Rachel was quite certain that it was only because they were stressed and a little hungover).

They remained silent for a few seconds. "You've changed, y'know?" stated the redhead matter-of-factly.

"And you haven't." replied the blonde with a shrug, taking a final pull from his beer and slamming it down on the bar.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Ah, but I never had the whole anger-management-issue thing." she declared, "You're slightly tolerable now that you don't have the scowl engraved on your face."

"Good point, and that's…nice to know." Luke spotted Julian jumping off the stage and making his way towards them, "I'm gonna go now, Jim Morrison's coming over." He said with a grimace, "But this was…not as bad as I thought it'd be."

"Back at ya, Other Scott."

Luke chuckled, "See ya around, Gatina." He said grabbing his beer off the bar top, "Oh, and try not to hook up with McDouche. Even _you_ are better than that."

"And I'm sure there's a complement buried _somewhere_ in that sentence." She replied with a playful smirk. (Of course, _now_ that he and B where broken up she'd start to tolerate him).

Her attention was once again pulled by the suddenly all-too familiar smooth voice. "Ready to tell me your name now?" Julian asked, "Or am I gonna have to beg even further?"

"I'm sorry, Scruffy, I'm a little confused," Rachel said with an even tone, "I thought you where here to mess up Haley –and she's not even in town right now, so your being here is even further pointless –and you know I'm her friend, so why are you so intent on hitting on me?"

"Well, Hales is still pretty set on keeping up her _Fiddler On The Roof_ romance with good ol' Jake," Julian stated matter-of-factly, though there was an obvious trace of disdain in his voice. Rachel could always tell when a guy felt a little scorned. "And I've never been able to resist a sassy girl –especially a redhead. There's plenty of me to go around."

"Look, Julian, I'm gonna do you a solid right now. I'm meeting here with 'good ol' Jake', and he won't be so good if he sees you. So how about you do everyone a favor, head back to wherever you're staying, pack up and get your ass to LA –and if you could take the freak who talks about himself in the third person all the time, that'd be great, too."

But he only puffed out his chest in a semi-manly way, "I'm pretty sure I can take Jake. Now that I know he's coming, he won't be able to sucker-punch me."

Rachel scoffed, because _of course_ the logical line of thought is that he can beat Jake up. "Maybe, but that tall guy there," she pointed towards the pool table, "That's Sam, and also Matt and Skills and Logan and you already know Luke –Jake's frat brothers who'd be more than happy to help him out. Plus Dean and Tim who just love to punch…well, _anything_."

"Your concern for my safety is heartwarming, Gorgeous," he declared, finishing what was left of his beer in one gulp, and winking at her, "And I will _definitely_ be seeing you around…Girl At The Bar." After plopping a few bills on the bar, he was gone.

Rachel actually got why Haley dated him once upon a time. He was kind of charming when he wasn't being an asshole (though the line between one and the other was way too thin for her taste).

-xx-

**Saturday  
Davis' House – NYC**

"Ugh, what is _up_ with New York drivers!" complained Haley as they shrugged their coats off in the foyer, "Did you see that cab driver? Dude almost ran us off the freaking street! People here are very hostile."

Brooke grinned, "That's just part of the city charm, Tutor Girl."

After Haley's first foray into driving in the New York streets and riding in the back of a cab, she'd agreed that taking the Davis limo wasn't haughty at all, but very practical.

The pair noisily made their way up the creaky stairs that led to the three rooms that made up Brooke's private third-floor space. Hell, Haley was still getting used to Brooke's Eighty-second-Street-just-off-Park-Avenue Manhattan town house. She still couldn't believe that after two years, she'd never known what Brooke's family did. (Or Clay and Rachel's for that matter because apparently Clay had his own penthouse suite and Rachel's parents kept a brownstone near Central Park).

Haley and Brooke had just gotten in from their girls' night out. They'd spend the first half of the day shopping and then went off to catch _Wicked_ because Haley had been ranting endlessly about catching a musical and Clay had snagged them free tickets from one of his father's offices.

They were dropping the bags in Brooke's room when they heard AC/DC blaring from across the hall and went over to check it out. Junior Davis and Nate were sitting on the floor completely focused on a game of Xbox. Bags of Cheetos and Fritos littered the floor along with a few empty beer bottles.

"Hello, Beer Bums," greeted Haley, sitting on the unmade bed, "Nice tunes. I'm sure you've had a productive night."

When they'd arrived yesterday, they'd been surprised to find that Brooke's older brother was already there. Nate and Haley had been fascinated that they finally got to meet a member of the brunette's family, and Brooke had been so excited to meet up with her big brother that he'd decided to stay with them for the weekend.

Nate and Junior had immediately bonded over sports and embarrassing Brooke-&-Clay stories. Brooke, in turn, had been mocking them endlessly over their newfound 'bromance'. Apparently they'd hit a few bars and caught a concert at Joe's Pub while they'd had their girls' day.

Junior just flashed Haley an all too familiar dimpled smile –his resemblance to Brooke was uncanny: same smile, hazel eyes and purposely-messy-yet-always-perfect-chocolate-colored hair. With the exception that he was taller and his skin was tanner, they could've passed for twins.

"C'mon down here, Smarty," Junior said, padding the spot on the floor next to him, "I'll teach you how to kick some zombie ass on _Left 4 Dead_." The honey-blonde sat down next to him, and Nate immediately surrendered over his controller.

"We'll leave you two to that," said Brooke, grabbing Nate's hand, "C'mon, Moody, I'm hungry. Lets leave them to their zombie killing and grab a bite to eat."

Nate followed Brooke downstairs, through the glass-paned French doors into the stately town house's enormous, barely used all-white Italian Modern kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" Brooke asked, "I'm starved. And I think my parents have been in Venezuela or Puerto Rico or wherever for like two weeks, which means that the maid got to buy the good stuff." She tugged anxiously on a messy lock of chocolate brown hair as she scavenged the fridge, "You can look around the pantries."

Nate shrugged and began exploring the large kitchen as if it were his own, they'd been eating out for the past two days. He checked a glossy white cupboard and found an unopened box of strawberry Pop-Tarts. Opening the box, he removed one packet from inside, tore it open with his teeth, and pulled out a frosted pastry. He took a bite of the Pop-Tart's crumbly corner and hopped on the counter, kicking the cupboards below with his feet.

Brooke grinned as she pulled out Pepperidge Farm white bread, grape jelly and peanut butter out of the fridge and began making herself a PB&J. "Pop-Tarts. _Nice_." She said grabbing a Granny Smith apple off a bowl in the kitchen counter. Nate gave her a curious look, "Sometimes I like some of the healthy stuff," she shrugged, pulling him off the counter, "C'mon, lets finish these off in my room. The kitchen's always been a little too pristine for my taste."

Nate smirked, looking around Brooke's bedroom, plopping himself down on her bed and staring at the big circular glass skylight in the ceiling over the bed. No wonder she liked having those silly glow-in-the-dark stars glued to the roof in her room at the apartment. She had a freaking porthole to the _actual_ stars here.

"I gotta tell you, Sunshine, you are living the good life here."

Brooke groaned, "I thought we'd ended the holy-crap-you're-loaded jokes yesterday," she said, plopping down next to him.

"That wasn't a joke, it was a fact." Nate said casually, "I believe you when you say your parents suck, but you gotta look at the silver lining. And your brother's a totally cool dude. Haley really likes him, and you know she's got that sixth sense for people."

That didn't really surprise her. Junior had always been lovable and enchanting. Everybody took an instant liking to him. They chuckled, "And, man, I still can_not_ believe that Clay gave up a full ride to the Yale lacrosse team for a starting spot on the Duke soccer team."

"Well, you might've done good by making friends with the rich kids," quipped the brunette, "But you should know we come with a shitload of mommy and daddy issues."

Nate laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "Eh, I like you just the same," he said, "So, what're the plans for tomorrow? It's our last official day in NYC."

"I don't know," Brooke shrugged, "But this has been a really fun weekend. You forget all the tourist-y stuff when you live here."

"Well, I'm all about the fun this weekend. Coach K. is gonna be pissed 'cause we're supposed to be starting practice for March Madness," said Nate oddly offhand, "And I'm also supposed to be helping Piz and the pledges to plan out the Hellraisers & Heartbreakers Party 'cause February 14's next week… Shit, I'm just flaking on _everything_ this week."

Brooke arched her eyebrows, "Jeez, Nate, are you in need of an intervention or something?" she asked, only half-kidding.

"Nah, I just…you wanted to get away," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded, "You wanted to get away." He repeated. "And I wanted to go with you."

The brunette flashed him a dimpled smile, "You always had the sweet thing going for you, underneath the whole cocky asshole thing."

"Yeah," he smirked, "That and I'm pretty hot, right?"

Brooke shook her head, giggling, "C'mon," she said crawling under the covers, "You can crash with me tonight, let Haley have the spare room all to herself. Besides, y'know she's gonna keep playing against Junior until she beats him." All this time, Haley had been bunking with Brooke, Junior had his own room, and Nate had taken the spare.

"I think I can live with that," he said, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. Brooke slapped his chest and cuddled up to him, "Sweet dreams, Sunshine."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

With Brooke, Nate and Hales gone, Rachel was bored. Sure, Clay was still around, but they hadn't really been hanging out much lately –not since they'd gotten into a fight over nothing at Dead Man's and they'd been avoiding each other ever since. And Owen was apparently seeing Lindsay James now so she'd seemed to set up camp in his room at Sigma Chi.

So now, the redhead was hanging out at the Phi Delt house with Jake and Sam until the party tonight –it was Logan's Birthday Bash, anything Quentin Tarantino was accepted, though this year's was considerably smaller than the ones that came before it.

"Hmm, so how come you two got out of party-setup duty?" she questioned, tossing a cheese ball into Sam's open mouth, "Whoo! Three points!" she cheered when it went in.

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. They'd been at this for a little over an hour. Normally he'd say this was childish, but Haley was gone and he was bored –beggars can't be choosers. "Sam's a junior, I'm a sophomore, that's got its perks," he said, answering the redhead's question. "The social chair and the pledges handle that stuff." He tossed a cheese ball into Rachel's mouth. "Heard from B and Nate yet?"

"Yep, Moody sent me a picture of them at Radio City Music Hall this morning." Said Rachel with a shrug, "Ugh, I still can't believe we missed that trip. You know that Junior's there? I love partying with Junior, he's always fun."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Jeez, did you sleep with your best friend's brother?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and tossed a cushion at his head, "Did not! Junior's known me since we were thirteen, that is so totally _never_ gonna happen. We have seen each other naked, though." She added matter-of-factly.

"We've all seen you naked, Ray," said Jake scrunching up his nose. "That's nothing new." Back when they lived in the small apartment, the redhead had never grasped why changing in the living room was _not_ a good idea.

"Some of us _more_ than once." Added Sam, his cheeks blushing slightly. There'd been that one night at the Phi Delt Casino Night and it was one of those odd nights where Nate had a date, Brooke had been off with Luke, Hales and Jake were doing their thing, and Clay was nowhere to be found…and Sam had been way too drunk and Rachel had been way too high, so naturally they hooked up…_twice_.

Rachel only smirked at the taller male's discomfort. "I am not ashamed of my body." She said seriously, "I mean, you've seen me naked, you know I've got no reason to be shy."

Jake and Sam averted her eyes and shifted uncomfortably, neither knowing what to answer. "Sammy, practice," called out Duke as he rushed down the stairs, "Move it!"

The somewhat lanky brunette let out a relieved sigh, "Saved by the bell," he muttered under his breath, "See ya guys tonight, right? Happy Birthday to Logan." He said with a wave, as he followed the buzz-cut blonde out the front door.

Jake checked his wristwatch and stood up, "And I gotta run, too," he said, shrugging on his jacket, "I'm supposed to pick up the kegs for tonight."

"Well…what am I supposed to do until tonight?"

"I don't know," Jake shrugged, "There's a _Fringe_ marathon on, you can catch that." Rachel pelted him with a cushion as he headed towards the door, then she sank back down into the couch. So far this had been a boring ass weekend for her. At least the party tonight was a good chance to get wasted.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Davis' House – NYC**

According to Haley's abnormally anal schedule, they were supposed to drive back to Durham tomorrow morning at eight, and Junior was set to catch the first train to New Haven –Hales had been truly horrified that he thought Yale was just something his dad had made him do instead of the amazing college that it was.

She and Nate had called it in early to give the siblings a while to hang out on their own. Brooke was curled up in an obviously expensive lounge chair, wrapped in a duvet and staring at the night sky.

"Hey, sis," Junior said, sitting down next to her, flashing her a dazzling smile.

The city looked beautiful at nighttime. Behind them rose the limestone luxury buildings of Park Avenue's Golden Mile, with their terraced penthouses and plate-glass windows. Still, both siblings knew nothing beat the living in an actual house with an entire wing of their own and a back garden, within walking distance of Clay's place and Serendipity 3.

Junior hummed, "You look happy, Scout. It's a good look on you." he said matter-of-factly. He hadn't called her that in years –it was one of those old nicknames they'd dropped when they got older.

Brooke raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Yeah, well, I'm always happy when I see you, _Smiley_." she replied with a grin. Since they'd both went off to college, they only met up a few times a year during the holidays.

"Yeah, you are. But last time I saw you, you weren't your usual cheery self." He said, flashing her a smirk.

"As I recall you shared some of those thoughts with Clay," she replied, "Thanks for that, by the way."

Junior rolled his eyes, "What was I supposed to do? You were sad and you weren't talking to me about it and you were leaving soon so its not like I could've been around to keep an eye on you. I _had_ to tell Goof-Nut to look out for you. It falls under my big brother duties."

"Well, like you said, I'm back to being happy again." Brooke shot back with a quirked eyebrow. Junior remained silent, he just stared her down. "It's just weird now. I see him around campus, we have a class together…and I've never had an ex-boyfriend before so its not like I know how to make it _not_ weird."

Junior rolled his eyes, "You know, you're really smart and sometimes I just forget," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "for everything you know, you're just a little girl." He kissed her forehead, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He'd always been the passionate-responsive one, while she'd always been the passionate-subdued one.

Brooke merely rolled her eyes, not really getting why her brother always thought she was a little girl. "But enough about me, lets talk about you. How's Yale treating you?" she opted for changing the subject –deflection was an art form in the Davis family.

"Dad has informed me that _this_ is the year I stop being a loser and graduate so I actually have to pass all my classes this semester." He stated with a casual shrug.

"I wouldn't let anyone else call you a loser, Junior." Brooke said seriously, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "What makes you think you're allowed?"

Junior flashed her a smiley smirk, "I love you, too." He'd always been less emotionally stunted than Brooke. "I like your friends. Hales is a little OCD, but she's pretty funny when the mood strikes."

"You mean when you got enough of your shooters in her?" Brooke questioned, "I still cannot believe you got her so wasted that she actually got that tattoo."

Junior shrugged innocently and chuckled, "And Nate's a cool dude, too. Big brother approves, not that it has ever mattered to you before, but just in case."

"Yeah, well, we're not dating."

"Um, I just figured…I mean, the way you two are sometimes, it looks like you're a couple." Junior said with a slightly confused frown, "You flirt with him and stuff."

"Yeah, I think that was one of the problems…" she muttered to herself, "It's just how we are. But Nate's one of my best friends."

Junior laughed, shaking his head, "Well, at least it's not complicated."

Brooke slapped his chest, "Shut up!" she said, laughing, "C'mon, lets get inside. Hales made a schedule and we have to get up _early_." Junior groaned as if he were in profound pain as Brooke dragged him back inside the house.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

The Phi Delta Theta house was packed –Logan usually went all out for his birthday parties. The backyard was jumping. Rebecca had gotten the Plain White T's to play at the party as a birthday gift –she and Logan where pretty big on the whole exchanging-overly-extravagant-gifts thing.

The band was setting up on the stage, and Skills was hooking up all his DJ gear for when they took a break. Duke, the unofficial house bartender, had made up some sort of punch he called Kryptonite –which was basically 151 proof rum, tequila, goldschlager, jagermeister and a shitload of Kool-Aid mixed up in a huge vat. Partygoers were already slightly buzzed and anxious for the music to start.

When Tom Higgenson, the lead singer of the Plain White T's, took the mike on center stage everyone whooped loudly, raising their cups into the air, some Kryptonite punch and beer spilling out of them. "Alright, well, first off a shout out to Becks who got us all out here!" another bout of whoops and claps, "And an ever bigger shout out to her birthday boy, Logan Echolls, who's turning twenty-one today!"

The entire backyard and house were jumping to beat of _Natural Disaster_. Rachel dipped her cup into the large vat and refilled her drink.

"Hey," Clay appeared next to her, "Haven't seen you in a while, Freckles. Things good?"

Rachel nodded, "Yeah, pretty boring without B here. Though the party's pretty good. How does Rebecca know the Plain White T's?"

"Um, I think they did a few fundraisers for her dad's campaign or something like that." Clay explained, sipping his punch, "Mm, this is pretty good. Duke knows his stuff."

The redhead flashed him a grin, "Yeah, but your Sigma Chi Jungle Juice is better."

Clay chuckled appreciatively, "Um, look, are we cool, Freckles? I know we haven't talked in a while and, um, there was the Peyton thing and the Dead Man's thing, and, just…we're cool, right?"

"We're cool, Evans," she said, shoving his teasingly, "Take a chill-pill, dude." They both laughed, "You stag tonight, too?"

Clay nodded, "Pretty much. Alex is now a one-man woman," he said, nodding towards her. Rachel turned around and saw Alex Dupre together with Sam Winchester. "Which means no more free hook-ups."

"Oh, no freaking way!" gasped Rachel in disbelief, "Seriously, good-boy Sammy bagged Alex, the biggest hoe on Greek Row?"

"Some chemistry is just undeniable." Clay replied with a shrug, "And Alex's legs are now officially closed for business –except for Sam, that is."

"See, now this feels a little too Noah's Ark –everyone's paired up: Skills and Bevin, Logan and Rebecca, Owen and Lindsay, when Haley gets back its her and Jake, now Alex and Sam. I feel very left out all of a sudden." Her chocolate-brown eyes met Clay's ocean-blue eyes and they both pondered whether they should just hook up tonight so they'd have a 'date', too.

The blondish-brunette cleared his throat and took another gulp from his cup, "I guess the whole Valentine's Day spirit is here. Nobody wants to be dateless." He chuckled, "You're going to Hellraisers & Heartbreakers, right?" he asked, his face inching closer to hers.

"Um, definitely," she said, "Yeah, uh, definitely. I'm in the race for Heartbreak Queen so…I gotta be there." She once again considered bedding Clay tonight if only to get laid, "Oh, look, there's Tim. He owes me a dance." She said, moving away from Clay, "But I'll see ya around, 'kay?"

Clay's brow furrowed but he still managed to flash her one of his million-dollar, lopsided grins, "I'll see you, Freckles."

-xx-

A few hours later, the band was on a break, Skills was DJ-ing, and Clay was tipsy.

Clay approached with his usual smooth swagger and his trademark lopsided grin. A playful spark in his ocean-blue eyes, "Will ya look at that, Peyt, they're playing our song." Travis' _Closer _blasted through the speakers loudly.

"I don't particularly recall you ever being cheesy enough to give us a song," retorted Peyton, raising an eyebrow.

Clay scrunched up his nose and smirked, "Yeah, well, you get a few of Duke's drinks in me and I'll pretty much give you anything you want." She rolled her eyes at him –knowing full well that when Clay was sloshed he'd hit on anyone. "C'mon, Blondie, one dance."

He didn't wait for her answer and dragged her off to dance. Even drunk, the boy could keep up with the beat. He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear (she'd straightened her hair for tonight), leaning down to whisper, "How about we go get _closer_ somewhere else?"

"No way, Clay," Peyton replied, shaking her head, "Somehow, every time I sleep with you I wake up feeling just a little bit of self-loathing. So you'll forgive me if I'm not interested."

"Right," he grinned again, sliding the black strap of her tank-top down, and kissing her bare shoulder, "The way I see it, you have two options here: you can wake up hating yourself in the morning, but we can both get some lovin' tonight."

Her green eyes met his blue eyes and then she sighed, "I have a roommate now."

"Frat house full of empty rooms." Clay immediately answered.

"Lead the way."


	23. All Hail The Heartbreaker

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Hey, Dudes! Majorly psyched that so many people are still reading the story. (Also majorly sorry for all the delays. I'm trying to do better.) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you guys are awesome! Here's the next one. Let me know whatcha think, dudes. **

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_All Hail The Heartbreaker_

-xx-

_I had the notion that you'd make me change my ways  
And the bad habits will be gone in a matter of days  
I had the feeling that you'd open up my eyes  
To a whole new world that had since been in disguise_

…_  
I'll be the giver, you'll be the taker  
I guess that's how this one's gonna go  
I'll be the giver, you'll be taker  
You've got me down on my and I proclaim:  
All Hail the Heartbreaker_

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Normally, Haley loved Valentine's Day –it celebrated love and friendship and all that good stuff. (Though, if you were going off Brooke and Rachel's line of thought, it was a just a commercial holiday designed to party, get wasted and get free stuff from hot guys.) This year, however, Haley was a little apprehensive about it –last she'd heard, Julian was still around and he'd always been pretty into the big romantic (sometimes cheesy) gestures.

As Haley exited her bedroom, tying her hair up in a messy ponytail, and entered the living room, she noticed the many gigantic teddy bears and heart-shaped balloons scattered throughout the room.

Living with Brooke was always like that –all the boys at Sigma Chi sent her something (plus a few from Phi Delt), along with a few guys from the soccer and football teams who thought they'd have a shot with her, and then there were the 'random dudes' who attempted to be _whimsy_ and sent her themed valentines.

This year the load was doubled, it seemed that Rachel had also attracted her fair share of admirers all around campus.

"Ugh," Haley groaned playfully, "It looks like the Build-A-Bear Workshop and some sort of balloon factory exploded in here."

_Hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi_! Came the simultaneous mischievous giggles of her roommates. "Chill, Tutor Girl."

"Yeah, take a pill," cooed Brooke with her enticing dimpled smile, "We got some really cool stuff this year," she explained, "Rae scored a few gift cards."

Rachel grinned, "A messenger dude dropped some stuff off for you," she said, "They're on the kitchen counter, I think."

Brooke and Rachel plopped down on the couch with three packages on their laps. The last delivery to arrive had been from Clay, Nate and Owen.

Clay had gotten Brooke another copy of _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay_ for her collection (they'd both read that when they were younger and Clay had always joked that someday there'd be a book about them: _The Amazing Adventures of Brookie D. & Clay_). Owen and Nate got her the latest Easton Ellis and Chuck Klosterman books, respectively.

Rachel smiled when she opened Nate's gift –_Breakfast At Tiffany's_ on DVD with a card that read: _maybe next time we watch it, I won't fall asleep halfway through_. Bellow was Nate's jumbled-yet-neat signature. Clay and Owen got her Quentin Tarantino and John Hughes movies, respectively.

Their boys definitely knew them well.

Haley finally found her stuff: the usual dozen roses and chocolates from Jake and a huge card that sang Plain White T's _1,2,3,4_, inside there were tickets to the Band of Horses concert next week.

_Be my valentine?_

–_J_

Haley wasn't sure who it was from. The note was typed, not handwritten.

Brooke whistled loudly, "Hales, what'd you get?"

"Um, nothing," answered Haley after a beat, "You know, the usual Jake stuff. He always plans something for the party."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Hitting Hellraisers & Heartbreakers, Hales?"

"You know I'm not," answered Haley with an eye roll, "I'm going to the Phi Delt house with Jake."

Rachel sniggered, "Right, 'cause who'd want to go to one of the biggest ragers of the year when you could go to a lame-ass 'date party'."

"Do not be a bitch." Warned Haley sternly, "Valentine's should not be all debauchery and random hook-ups. The dance at Phi Delt is fun and I don't need to" –she paused to raise her hands and make air quotes– "_'get sloshed'_ to have a good time."

Brooke and Rachel scoffed in (somewhat) mock offense. "Hey! We do not get drunk to have a good time." defended Brooke.

"Yeah, we get drunk to _enhance_ our good time." clarified Rachel, as she high-fived Brooke.

Haley smirked and raised an eyebrow daringly. "Alright, Cheech and Chong," she hummed, "I bet you two can't make it through the H&H party without drinking. When I win, you and Tigger are on bathroom cleanup duty for a month."

Rachel smirked right back at her –she'd never backed out a dare in her life, which is how she ended up with that tattoo in the small of her back. "What do we get if _we_ win?"

Haley sighed, "Name it."

Brooke and Rachel exchanged looks, doing their whole entire-conversations-without-saying-a-word thing and grinned. "We get to throw the pre-game party for March Madness here. _And_ if we can't drink, you can't either."

Haley narrowed her eyes at them –the drinking wasn't really and issue for her, but last time they'd had a party in the apartment, Haley and Jake ended up getting _accidentally_ high. After that, Haley had banned them from throwing any more apartment parties. "Alright," she said with a smirk. This was a sure thing –Brooke and Rachel were borderline alcoholics. "It's a bet." They shook on it.

Jake walked in and swatted a few heart shaped balloons out of his way, "Happy Valentine's, ladies!" he greeted with his patented goofy grin, "Hey, honey," he added, placing his right hand on Haley's hip (his left hand hiding something behind his back) and pulling her close to his chest.

"It's about time you got here," said Haley, biting her lower lip and linking her wrists around Jake's neck.

Jake leaned down and kissed her lightly, sucking her lower lip playfully. "Mm. Grape." he muttered against his mouth, referring to her lip-gloss. "You taste good." He said, leaning down to crash his lips against hers this time a little more vigorously.

They broke apart smiling widely. Jake flashed her his goofy grin once more, and showed her a small bag, "It's a little buddy," he said with a silly voice. Jake pulled out a tiny teddy bear with a baby-blue shirt that read BLUE DEVILS (the kind that the IFC and Panhellenic sold to raise cash). "I just wanted to officially ask my beautiful girlfriend to be my date for tonight's dance."

Haley smiled. Jake always got her some trinket for when he first saw her on Valentine's. Brooke and Rachel broke out in a slightly mocking chorus of '_aaaaaw_'. The couple glared at them and then Haley turned back to Jake "I'd be honored to be your date." She said, grabbing the teddy bear and kissing him again, "And I like my little buddy."

"Yeah, well, that's just a pre-gift," Jake said with a proud smile, "Real gift when I pick you up for tonight."

"I can't wait."

Rachel smirked, "Neither can we. Whatcha get 'er?"

"Nonya." Jake raised an eyebrow, "But I also sent you two some valentines. I'm sure you'll find them among all this other crap." He said gesturing towards all the stuff. Then he checked his watch. "Shit, I gotta go. I have a class." He leaned down for one more kiss. "Pick you up at eight?"

Haley smiled, "I'll be waiting." She said, pulling him down into a final goodbye kiss.

Jake smiled as if he were dazed. "Oh," he shook his head, pulling an envelope from his back pocket. "This was taped to the front door. It's for you, B." He handed it to Brooke, waved goodbye to Rachel and headed out.

"More valentine's bling for Brooke. _Shocking_." quipped Haley while she poured her morning bowl of Cheerios. "I'm gonna finish these in my room were not every surface is covered in stuff." She said before disappearing into her bedroom.

"Shit, I've got a group thing for my modern politic class. Ugh, I hate when the eggheads want to meet up on Fridays." Rachel said as she got off the couch, "Get anything good?" she asked nodding towards her.

Brooke opened the envelope and pulled out a bunch of stapled up papers and a post-it. "Just a note. I'll let you know if I get anything juicy."

With a wink, Rachel disappeared into her room, and Brooke went back to the note. The post-it read: _Thinking of you. Happy Valentine's_.

Upon further inspection she realized that the note was actually a short story, and after re-reading it three times she realized it was actually _really_ good.

And as she saved it carefully in her desk drawer, the one were she kept all her important papers and stuff, she realized that the short story (_the girl is not so easy to please_) was the best gift she'd gotten that Valentine –including balloons, flowers, candy, gift-cards, and some dude on the football team who'd gotten her an iPod nano.

Brooke inspected the envelope and the post-it carefully. It was unsigned. Brooke bit her lower lip thoughtfully –whoever wrote the story was talented. _Very_ talented. (She'd read enough to know what was good and was shitty.) And he'd wanted to share it with _her_.

Brooke hadn't felt that special in a while –to have someone give her something so personal, so raw. It felt good.

The door to Haley's bedroom opened, "Tigger, your Friday class started ten minutes ago." She said, shoving a spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth.

"Oh, fuck my life." Brooke groaned, jumping over the couch to grab her backpack and keys. "I'll see ya later, Hales." She called over her shoulder as she rushed out the door.

-xx-

**Friday  
Duke University**

The entire classroom was silent, every student hunched over their desks scribbling answers frantically on loose-leaf paper. _Fucking great_, thought Brooke, _the one time I'm late he decides to actually _give_ the stupid quiz_.

Her usual desk was empty, so she sat down and copied the questions off the blackboard. Brooke hadn't even gotten a chance to change: she was still wearing her ratty Strand t-shirt, worn-out jeans over her short-shorts, she was pretty sure she'd slipped on Haley's shoes, and she'd left the apartment with her reading glasses on (which she didn't really like to wear in public).

Professor Hodgins collected all the quizzes and Brooke groaned, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them, a Hershey's kiss was on the middle of her desk. She looked up and met Luke's navy-blue eyes. "Happy Valentine's." he said with a smile –an actual smile, not that half-smirk of his, but a _real_ one…she liked it.

"Thank you." Brooke replied, unwrapping the chocolate and eating it. (For a second she wondered where he'd have eaten the chocolate off of her if they were still together.) Not that their last Valentine's Day had been particularly romantic…

_Last year's Sigma Chi Valentine's party was themed Shot Through The Heart. Owen had gotten Jimmy Eat World to play and everyone had been there. Brooke had been stag and spent most of the night drinking and dancing with Clay and Nate. _

_(That was also the night Brooke had made out with Dean Winchester in the kitchen cupboard after having had one too many cups of Jungle Juice.)_

_Luke hadn't been there to hook up with her because he had to go to the Phi Delta date party so she figured she'd have to find another guy to take home. _

_Brooke headed towards one to the shooting areas and picked up a bow and arrow (as part of the theme, the Pledges had set up targets so everyone could shoot an arrow through a heart). Brooke had nearly perfect aim –she'd taken archery as an elective in the Spencer Academy during her sophomore year. _

_Winding her arm back, she released the arrow. Bull's-eye. It'd landed right in the middle of the heart. Brooke smiled a self-satisfied smile, very proud of the fact that she still had it._

"_Is it wrong that that turned me on?" questioned a familiar voice behind her. Brooke turned around and there was Luke Scott –he'd been popping around a lot lately. _

_Brooke hummed, then smirked, "You've always been into the kinky stuff."_

"_And you've never said no." Luke immediately countered, cocking a challenging eyebrow. "I got you another drink." He added, handing her a half-empty cup of beer. _

_Brooke inspected the cup's contents –beer definitely shouldn't have been that color– and dumped them out on the lawn. "I'm very selective about what I put in my mouth."_

_Luke grinned –she'd walked right into that one. "_Not_ what you said last night, babe."_

"_Why don't you get outta here, Phi Delt?" Brooke replied darkly, "I'm planning on taking someone else home tonight. You're getting old, fast."_

_The brooding blonde glared at her, his navy-blue eyes suddenly seemed like ice-cold. He looped an arm against her waist and abruptly pulled her against his chest. Even in the cold weather, the brunette's petite body radiated an unknown heat. _

_As usual, Brooke glared back at him and attempted to wriggle out of his arms. "Really." She challenged, "Are we gonna do this now? We're gonna have it out right here?" When Luke loosened up his grip a little, Brooke smirked, pressing herself against his crotch, "You _really_ can't handle me, Scott, so don't even try."_

_Feeling her thrust against him, made Luke instantly hard and Brooke seized the moment to wriggle out of his arms. _

_Luke gripped her arm to stop her from walking away. He'd just ditched his own house's party (and a 'date') to come and find her. "You know, I don't have to put up with your shit," he hissed, "I can count over twenty girls here who would _beg_ to be in your position right now."_

"_Then why don't you go off with one of them, huh?" Brooke spun around to face him. Luke hissed when she suddenly cupped him through his jeans. She distinctly heard him mutter: '_fuck_' through clenched teeth._

_Luke narrowed his eyes, "You are such a fucking _tease_."_

_"And you are an idiotic _toy_." Brooke replied harshly. _

"_Why don't you just admit that no one does it for you like _I _do?" Luke asked, regaining control over the situation and pulling her against his chest once more. _

_The brunette focused he hazel orbs on his navy-blue ones and shook her head slightly, "'Cause you're not worth it." They'd been doing this for what felt like way too long. It was what they did: he hurt her, she hurt him, they fucked. Except that it wasn't _really_ hurting each other. It was just a game…or at least it was supposed to be._

_The night ended with them half-naked in the back of his car –as so many of their nights often ended– with that mix of pleasure and satisfaction, and a little bit of hate because enough psych classes had taught them both that there was definitely an unhealthy element at work in their…whatever it is that they had. (Yet neither was willing to give it up.) _

Brooke wondered when the allure of their little games had died and actually become hurtful. She guessed it was right around the time when actual feelings got involved in their dynamic –when it was just sex it was easier even in its own complexity.

Luke stared at her for a second and then kinked his eyebrows, "Huh, I thought you hated wearing your glasses in class."

"Ugh, I do," said Brooke, (she was impressed that he remembered), "But I totally spaced and left the apartment late, so..."

"Well, personally, I like them," Luke grinned, "I'm very into the whole dirty librarian thing."

Brooke eyed him carefully, "If I recall correctly, you liked me in _anything_ dirty."

"And I still do." Luke licked his lips, this time unable to keep the smirk off his face.

Brooke wondered if he was saying that he still liked her. She thought about asking, but then –"Mr. Scott, Ms. Davis, anything to share with the rest of the class? Any brilliant opinions on Kafka's work?" Professor Hodgins cut in.

A little later, Hodgins dismissed them early and Brooke ran out. She had stuff to do: she needed to pick up her dress, and meet up with Rachel, and stop by Sigma Chi, and…she didn't want to have it out with Luke now.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

Sigma Chi had tons of parties all throughout the year, but there were three that were legendary: the Homecoming Victory party, the Valentine's party, and the end of the school year party.

They always went all out: the house was decorated, the stage in the backyard was set and, this year, they'd gotten Jet to play –a pledge's friend's cousin's neighbor knew them and they agreed to do the show cheap.

Clay loved the H&H party. It was one of the select occasions he got to mix up the special Jungle Juice. "Alright," Clay spoke into the megaphone, "All pledges remember to go by Piz before dumping the booze in. The measurements have to be right or else the taste is off."

Piz was standing next to the 50-gallon trashcan checking to make sure everyone dumped in the right amounts.

Nate arrived in Tim's pickup truck and got the rest of the pledges started on unloading the rest of the stuff.

"You enjoy that way too much," Nate said, gesturing towards the megaphone Clay was yelling into.

Clay smirked, "Y'know how it is. The Pledges gotta earn it."

"No one ever made _you two_ earn it." Brooke easily teased the guys as she walked out into the expansive backyard.

Clay and Nate grinned their cocky, self-assured grins, "That's 'cause we were _born_ for this."

"Well, its parties, beers and women," stated Brooke seriously, "What else could you have been born for?" They laughed and Brooke kicked Clay out of his chair. "Everything set up for tonight?"

"It is on our end," responded Nate, "Clay handled the booze, and I've got the pledges unloading the last of the stuff the truck. Should be legendary, like all Sigma Chi parties."

Brooke flashed them a dimpled smile, "It really should be," she pulled out a box from her backpack and handed it over to them. "Ballots. O asked me to pick them up from the copy place. Do _not_ lose them." she warned, "I gotta go, I'm getting ready with Rae. But I'll see you boys later. Save me a dance, 'kay?"

_Mmwah_! Clay swooped her up into a hug and kissed her forehead, "See ya tonight, Dimples."

Nate gave her his patented Nathan-Scott smirk, "I'm waiting on that dance, Heartbreaker!" he called out after her.

Brooke turned around to stick her tongue out at him, "By the way, boys, thank you. I loved all my Valentine's bling."

"Thank you," replied Nate with a casual shrug, "I loved my sweater." Clay nodded in agreement. Brooke always gave them homemade gifts for Valentine's and the only thing she knew how to knit were sweaters. She flashed them both a final wink goodbye, and then she was gone.

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke, Rachel and Haley had spent the last few hours running around the apartment and cramming up in the bathroom getting ready for tonight. Haley had opted to curl her hair a little, while Rachel and Brooke straightened theirs.

"Hey," called out Rachel from her bedroom door, a different pair of shoes in each hand, "The black ones or the strappy ones?"

Haley and Brooke pouted in thought, finally agreeing. "The strappy ones." With that, Rachel disappeared back into her room to finish dressing.

The upside of living with both of your best girlfriends was that you always had someone to talk to and help you get ready for everything (even when all they did was argue over silly things and fight over who got to use the bathroom).

Haley was dressed more formally than them with a short black and white dress and the black pumps that Rachel ended up not using. She wore her hair up, and Jake was practically speechless when he picked her up.

His eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, Jake sighed, "Whoa," he beamed, "You look…amazing. Wow, um, hang on," he put a hand over her eyes and pulled out a rectangular, black velvet box from his coat's pocket. "For you."

Haley smiled and opened the box, "Oh my god…" she gasped when she saw the white gold necklace inside the box. It was gorgeous and definitely much more expensive than she expected her gift to be, "Jake, its way too beautiful."

Jake shrugged in his casual way and grinned, "Nah, its no big deal," he said coyly, "I, uh, I saw and I thought it'd look really good on you. So lets try it, shall we?" he said, reaching over her shoulder to pick it out of its box and put it on her.

Haley touched the necklace against her chest and turned to face Jake with a surprised and elated smile. "Thank you." she was pretty speechless

Jake leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. For tonight Haley wore lipstick so her lips tasted like that peppermint gum he liked, instead of lip-gloss. "It looks good."

Rachel and Brooke popped out of their rooms in their dresses and cooed at the sight, "Aaaaaw!" they exclaimed in unison, "That is gorgeous." Assured Rachel.

"Nice going, Jay-Jay," said Brooke, "Someone's gonna get lucky tonight," she added with a wink.

"And he got all dressed up for it and everything." Said Rachel, "Nice suit, grey actually looks good you."

Haley chuckled, "Okay, enough ogling of my boyfriend," she joked, "We're gonna be late, babe." She said, looping an arm around Jake's back.

"Yeah, lets go," replied Jake, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "We'll see you two later."

"Purse." Rachel reminded, handing the black clutch over to Haley.

Brooke and Rachel watched them go with a curious stare. While they always got tons of crap for Valentine's from guys who were desperate to get into their pants, it was times like these (when they saw how Jake and Haley were) that they wondered if having a real relationship was really a bad thing or whether it was just something they'd talked themselves into believing.

Before they could ponder it in depth, their cell phones went off. Text from Nate wondering where they were, the party was getting packed, and the band was about to start their first set.

-xx-

**Friday  
Sigma Chi House**

The party was in full swing early, Owen himself was bartending, and over half of the fifty-gallon trashcan of Jungle Juice was gone now. (Brooke and Rachel were starting to regret their whole no-getting-drunk bet.) Still, the pair figured it'd be fun to dance the night away. And since all the guys knew they were both officially not hooking up with anyone, they didn't lack attention.

All the partygoers crowded around the stage chanting along the lyrics as Jet performed. Everyone broke out in clapping as the final chords of _She's A Genius_ reverberated throughout the backyard and hovered in the air over them. "Thank you! Thank you!" spoke Jet's lead singer into the microphone with his slightly gruff tenor, "Playing here has been awesome, you guys are a great crowd. Now, I leave you all with the Sigma Chi President, and the man who made all of this happen, Owen Morello."

Owen stepped up to the mike, "Alright, everyone, its that time of the night. All the votes are in and our more sober pledges tallied them."

Part of the Hellraisers & Heartbreakers tradition was to vote for a King & Queen of Hearts. Winners got one hundred bucks and the next Sigma Chi party dedicated to them.

"It's time to find out who are the King & Queen of Hearts are –or as they're usually called, King & Queen of Heart_break_. Drum roll, please," the drummer complied as Owen ripped the envelope open, "This year's King & Queen are…Nate Scott and Brooke Davis!"

Amidst a blur of clapping, pats on the pack and deafening whoops, Nate and Brooke made their way up to the stage. Owen handed Nate his crown, rolling his eyes at the raven-haired male's cocky smirk, and then swept the tiny brunette up into a hug before placing the crown on her head.

Nate gave Brooke a wink and twirled her around, her little red dress moving along with her. (While most girls rocked a little black dress, Brooke had always preferred the red one).

Luke, Haley and Jake had just walked into the party and some dude immediately handed drinks. "Well, alright," chuckled Jake, taking a sip from the red cup.

After a while the party at Phi Delta had died down and they'd put in enough of an appearance, Haley suggested dropping by to check in on Brooke and Rachel. Luke had volunteered to tag along.

Haley handed her drink over to girl that passed by her. "I can't believe none of you are drinking." Commented Jake, then he chuckled, "I like it when you get drunk because you're such a hot-damn mess," he said seriously, "You're an excitable drunk. You tell me how much you love me all the time and you get all hot." he grinned, "I love it."

"Sigma Chi does know how to throw a party," commented Luke while loosening up his tie –date formals had never really been his thing. "And I can_not_ believe they got Jet to play."

Their eyes darted towards the stage, they heard the crowd break out in a chant of: _KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!_ But then Jake and Haley's eyes glued on to Luke because there, on stage, Nate had swooped Brooke up in kiss –a very obvious tonsil hockey match to all who watching –and they were expecting him to blow up like Vesuvius any second now.

Nate piggybacked Brooke off the stage and the band began playing again. Haley laid a hand upon Luke's shoulder and shook him slightly, "Hey, you okay?" She knew that whether or not Brooke and Luke were over each other was certainly debatable, but whether seeing Brooke and Nate making out would piss Luke off was not.

But Luke didn't blow up, ready to pounce on Nate and start a Braveheart-style fight in the middle of the Sigma Chi backyard. Instead he calmly headed off in the brunette's direction.

Haley frowned, "Should we…?"

"…follow him?" finished Jake with a confused frown. "Um, I don't really know, hon."

"Lets just…let things play out." Suggested Haley, her tone clearly conveying doubt, "I mean, Luke's been really mellow lately…so, lets see how it plays out."

Nate and Brooke posed for goofy crown pictures with Piz and Tim (they made the pledges dress up like Cupid, complete with diapers). Luke approached them quietly and grabbed Brooke's arm, pulling her away from the crowd.

"What the fuck was that?" Luke hissed angrily –his brooding scowl was back. In an entirely weird way, she'd almost missed it.

Brooke rolled her eyes, she'd thought that upside of ending things with Luke was that she could avoid _this_ part. "It's a party." She replied darkly, "And we are _not_ gonna do this right now."

"Oh, come on!" he groaned, "Then when are we! Huh, what the fuck am I supposed to do? That's my brother, he had his hands all over you –he's _always_ all over you!"

"Jesus!" Brooke shrieked, "I cannot keep doing this. I am so tired of having the same fight over and over again. We're done, okay? Wasn't that what you wanted? I was a shitty girlfriend and we fought all the time and you ended it… Isn't that supposed to be the end of this? Does your possessive attitude have a term-limit or am I gonna have to get a damn restraining order?"

Luke ran his hands through his no-longer-short hair, "Damn it! No, I didn't! I didn't want it to end. I've never wanted it to end. I…" he let his voice trail off. He couldn't say he loved her.

"I'm–we–I…I don't want to do this right now." Brooke stuttered. "You're not even supposed to be here." Luke was standing dangerously close to her right now, his forehead almost touching hers. "We're done. You should go. I want you to go. I want this to be _over_ already."

Luke shook his head, "You don't want that," he whispered, his warm breath feeling dangerously hot against her skin.

Brooke replied in an abnormally raspy voice, "You don't know what I want." It doesn't escape her that neither does she, but that was neither here nor there.

"Brooke," his tone was soft yet serious as his fingertips grazed her cheek. Brooke involuntarily quivered at the brush of his skin against hers –it'd been way too long since they'd touched.

Luke leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'm probably the only guy who knows what you want…even when you don't say it." He was surprised that she still had that intoxicating Brooke-scent mixed with Shalimar that she'd always left lingering in his pillows.

And, in his own way, Luke was right. Sure, he didn't know all the details of her life like Clay and Rachel did, he didn't have infinite inside jokes with her like Nate and the rest of the Sigma Chi boys. But he was connected to her in a different, more intrinsic way –he _felt_ her. And he knew that she felt him, too.

He cupped her cheek and leaned down, devouring her lips with his. Brooke gave into the kiss despite herself. They still melded together perfectly, if a little roughly. Because their kisses had never been gentle in the first place.

As Luke's expert hands roamed her face, her neck, the small of her back, Brooke felt every inch he touched was left on fire. And that had always been the thing about Luke and Brooke –together, they _ignited_.

The whole experienced turned too personal when she felt his fingers tangled up in her hair (he'd always loved to play with her hair), so she pulled back. Pressing her palms against his strong chest, she pushed him away, and said, "No. I can't keep doing this. We can't keep doing this."

"Why not?" And even he couldn't keep a little trace of desperation off his voice.

"Because it's not right, _we _are not right." Brooke assured him, her voice shaky, "And you can't just cling on to something because it's familiar. And _this_" –she gestured between them– "is just a habit we seem to give into. It's not healthy. I can't do it anymore. I can't handle this."

Luke shook his head, "Don't. C'mon." He insisted, "You know it's not like that."

This time when his navy-blue eyes met her hazel eyes, he could see a determination that he'd never seen before. "We're done. I want you to go."

"Don't. Stop telling me to go because you're scared. Tell me to go because you don't want this, _us_." His voice was unyielding, "Only tell me to go because you don't want to be with me…'cause if I leave, I'm _gone_. I can't keep waiting around for you."

"Lucas…go."

It felt like everything stopped for a second for them both. Luke dropped his hands from her waist and stormed out of the party.

Brooke watched him go –he was clearly upset and, dare she say, hurt. And for the first time since they broke up, her tear ducts stopped being proud and a few tears spilled out.

She wiped them off when she spotted a pledge carrying a tray of drinks. Screw the bet. She wasn't sure what was in the cup, but the liquid scorched her throat all the way down and she was grateful. Spending the rest of the night numbed seemed like a wonderful plan.

-xx-

The rest of the night goes by in a blur. After plenty of drinks and a few shots, it felt like she was moving in slow motion and everybody else was moving in regular time. The strobe lights flashing off the stage are somewhat blindly.

She'd found Basher (a Sigma Chi who always the hook-up for all and any illegal substances) and did a hit…of _something_. That plus the alcohol created a wonderful dulling effect. She tried to find Rachel or Clay, but the constant burr of the noise and the music made it hard to focus and if she stared too long at someone, the faces started to blur together.

In the end, she settled for dancing alone by the stage (because a crowd will inevitably form around her, it always does). She let herself sway to the music as it enveloped her.

A crowd had already formed around her and even as the beat of the music pulsated throughout her body, she'd already gotten bored of it. When she headed off to find Clay or Rachel again, she found Nate.

"Hey," Nate chuckled, "Jeez, you are blitzed! Basher's stash?"

Brooke nodded, laughing her silly, five-year-old laugh. "I got bored."

"I thought you, Hales and Ray had a bet going?" questioned Nate, "Isn't that why Ray's not drinking anything?"

"Yeah, well, some you win, some you lose," Brooke shrugged.

Nate laughed at her logic –he'd had his fair share of drinks that night, too. They linked arms and headed inside the house because the lights were 'tripping them out' and Brooke had a 'wicked case of the munchies'.

Nate snagged an unopened tube of Pringles and two relatively untouched blue cups of what he suspected was Jungle Juice. They plopped down on the comfy living room couch seemingly unaware to all the people bustling around them.

Brooke picked up a half-empty cup off the coffee table and Nate laughed, "I'm _drunk_." He deadpanned.

The brunette emptied up the contents of the blue cup and winced a little at the bitter taste. "I think Luke and I are done now." They turned to stare at each other and smirked.

-xx-

They tripped their way up the stairs but still managed to not spill what was left of their drinks, both of them laughing their asses off. Nate practically kicked the door to his bedroom open, and when Brooke pulled him down for another harsh kiss, he slammed his back against the doorframe and winced. Brooke giggled out an apology and they took a pause to finish off their drinks.

Brooke looked up at him biting her lower lip, both grinning like morons. Nate's grip on her wait tightened and he pulled her closer, "Hmm, you and Luke really done?"

The brunette nodded, "Yeah." Her expert hands were already hard at work, unbuttoning his black shirt.

"Want another drink?" Nate offered as Brooke pulled him towards his bed. But Brooke only shook her head as she undid her dress and let it fall to the floor. Nate only nodded, "Alright," as he took in the way the black lace underwear clung to her body –Cosabella, he'd always had an eye for underwear.

Brooke had always been a you-need-to-do-what-feels-right-in-the-moment kind of girl. And right now, doing Nate seemed really, _really_ right. She pulled him onto the bed on top of her and began undoing his jeans.

Nate's kisses were drunken, but precise. He kissed her jaw, her neck and then her clavicle, taking in the taste of her perfect porcelain skin. Brooke anxiously tugged down on his jeans as he skillfully slid off her thong and began undoing her bra.

Her right hand automatically reached out for the top nightstand drawer where she knew he and Clay stashed the Trojans (she knew that bedroom way too well).

Nate plunged into her in one swift movement and everything stilled for a second. Then they started moving, he kissed her lips hungrily and sucked on her neck. She gripped his shoulders and clawed at his back (she always liked to scratch). Then she switched them around to be on top and they kept going until they reached their hazy peaks and fall limply on top of one another, the drinks and exertion getting to them until they fell asleep, a mess of tangled limbs.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

Clay woke up in what he vaguely recognized as Dean's room, but Dean was nowhere in sight. Nate had a girl in their room last night, that much he remembered.

He looked around, but he was alone. He most certainly wasn't alone when he went to bed last night.

Clay headed downstairs to get some coffee. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it couldn't have been that late. Sliding on his boxers, he headed downstairs and was further surprised when he spotted Haley and Jake sitting on the kitchen stools.

"Am I in the wrong house?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

Haley laughed, "Yeah, we actually ended up crashing here." Clay gave her a confused frown. "Party ran pretty late, and Owen said Clark's room was free and that we could crash there."

Clay knew Clark's room was free –he was off in some exchange-student-program thing. He rubbed his eyes, "Okay, you know what, this is too much weirdness for this early in the morning. I'm just gonna go the bathroom, and then I'm gonna go crash again."

He entered the communal bathroom and checked under the sink to search for a new Listerine bottle. His eyes pausing over the trashcan, he grabbed a piece of paper and reached in to pull something out.

It was a pregnancy test. And it was positive.

All of a sudden Clay was very awake. "Holy shit."


	24. Staring At The Mess I Made

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, you know, this is the next chapter. (I'm too tired to write something long.) Shout out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you're all awesome as always! And here's the next one. Let me know whatcha think.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Staring At The Mess I Made  
(As You Turn, You Take Your Heart And Walk Away)_

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke woke up startled when an arm fell across her shoulder. Letting out a sharp breath, she sat up on the bed. "No," she muttered in a raspy voice when she Nate's sleeping form next to her, "No, no, no, no."

She couldn't have…(though a peek at their naked selves under the bed sheets revealed that she _had_). They didn't –_she_ didn't…not with _Nate_.

"No, no, no, no," Brooke repeated as if it were a mantra. Maybe if she said it enough, it wouldn't be true. There's a moment you know you're fucked. Brooke was going through one of those. Fucking Nate had definitely been pushing the envelope of the whole self-destructive thing she seemed to be so fond of lately.

A sharp pain attacked her temples as she attempted to get out of bed. "Ugh," she groaned, "Fuck my life." She glanced at Clay's soccer-ball alarm clock across the room as it repeatedly blinked that it was 6am.

Brooke immediately, and gracefully, got off the bed and expertly tiptoed around the room gathering up her dress and underwear. She had to get the fuck out of there before anyone woke up and saw her.

For the first time ever, she crawled out the Sigma Chi window –no way was she risking using the front door, someone might see her. She ran all the way to apartment feeling slightly more relieved when she got there. (And even _more_ relieved when she realized it was empty.)

As soon as she got there, she ran to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet, emptying out the contents of her stomach (which she was certain was mostly liquor). She wasn't sure if she threw up because she was hungover or because she somehow sickened herself. Then, she jumped into the shower in a useless attempt to wash last night off her body. More detailed bits and pieces of her night with Nate kept coming back to her.

_His hands running frantically along every curve of her body_

_Her nails digging into his arms_

_His mouth sucking of her neck._

Wrapped in a towel, Brooke stood in front of the bathroom mirror inspecting her neck and shoulders. Hmm, Nate hadn't left any marks. (Not like with Luke –every bite he gave her left a mark.)

At least she didn't come out of it branded.

God. She was fucked now. Rachel would be…ugh, who knew how she'd be. But Rachel and Nate had a very definite thing between them. Haley would be mad and disappointed.

And Luke…god, _why_ had she told him to go last night? She knew she missed him and he was right there saying he wanted her and she just told him off? Yeah, something was definitely wrong with her.

He'd never forgive her for this.

But she'd been drunk and a little high and she'd have gone to bed with the first guy she bumped into. (And it just so happened that that first guy had been Nate.)

Brooke had had her fair share of morning afters, and she'd had her fair share of different feelings after each one, but this was the first time she'd felt cheap and very much like a whore. ('Cause it was a _serious_ slutty move to sleep with your ex's brother, even if you were broken up.)

_I didn't want it to end. I've never wanted it to end. _

_I'm probably the only guy who knows what you want…_

Brooke got dressed in one of her tank tops and jeans, and slipped on a pair of sneakers because there was really only one person she needed to talk to right now (and she was still hopped-up enough to have the guts to do it).

-xx-

Brooke walked over there (she didn't really feel like driving would be a good idea right now since she was ninety percent sure she was still a little bit drunk), and climbed up the trellis effortlessly (she'd never really been comfortable using the front door, anyways).

It was nice to see that some routines were still hard to break (because he'd always left the window unlatched so she could shimmy it open and climb in).

Luke was sprawled out on the bed, asleep in his Calvin Klein boxer-briefs, his head by the foot of the bed. Brooke sat on the windowsill watching him for a couple of minutes. She couldn't tell if he was drunk or not.

His bedroom door opened and Theresa walked into the room wearing a skanky skirt and what Brooke immediately recognized as the shirt Luke had on last night, her stiletto heels in one hand and her purse on the other. It was obvious that Theresa was getting ready to do the walk of shame out of there.

"Oh," Theresa's face was immediately drained of color at the sight of the brunette, "hey, B…"

Brooke noticed as her eyes were scanning the floor for something. "Here," said Brooke, handing over a black top that had ended up on the floor near the window, "Wouldn't want you to leave anything behind, 'Resa."

Brooke watched Theresa open and close her mouth a few times, fumbling for something to say. She'd have laughed if it wouldn't have brought on a more intense throbbing to her temples. Instead she sighed, "I'll see you at practice, Theresa."

Luke groaned and bolted up awake when Theresa slammed the door on her way out. "Ugh," he muttered, looking around the room, his eyes stopping on Brooke, who was still perched on his windowsill, "Huh, where's…?"

"You just missed her." As he sat up and stretched, Brooke noticed the Chinese tattoo on his shoulder. That night didn't seem like it'd happened long ago. Then again, it also felt light years away.

Luke nodded pensively, scanning his room as if he'd find something amiss –after all, the brunette hadn't set foot in there in over two months. He got out of bed and slipped on of his worn-out Phi Delta t-shirts, then headed over to his mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of Vitamin Water. "So, what's Brooke Davis doing here?" he asked, realizing that the brunette hadn't planned anything to say, "Have you been watching me sleep? –'Cause that's a little _Fatal Attraction_, isn't it?"

"Well, don't call the cops on me yet. I'm far from boiling bunnies." Brooke quipped, then she smiled, "Besides, you've always looked cute when you sleep –not that I've noticed or anything."

Luke let out a dry chuckled, and shook his head, "Okay, whatever," he took a pull from his water bottle, "What're you doing here, Brooke?"

"I, um, I just wanted to see you. I–"

"–now, _that_'s funny." Luke cut her off with a scoff, "Last I can recall, you wanted me to _go_… so, you know, I _left_. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass outta my room right now."

Brooke gulped, "Because I'm here to apologize. I am so, _so_ sorry–"

"–and that statement could cover a whole myriad of things." He interrupted again, "Care to narrow it down a bit? Or is it more of an all-inclusive apology?"

"Uh…both, I guess." Brooke shrugged a shoulder, "I'm sorry about _everything_ that happened last night. I _really_ wish I could take it all back." She sighed looking away from him for a second, muttering 'the whole entire night back', then raising her hazel eyes to his face again, "And I'm also sorry about everything else, too. You…you know, you deserved better."

Luke stopped fiddling with the label on the water bottle, and brought his navy-blue eyes to meet her hazel ones for a second. "Where the hell is this coming from?" he asked, "I poured my heart out to you last night, I begged and I pleaded –like I _always_ do when it comes to you– and all that was missing to complete the damn cliché was me following you home in my trench coat, raising a boom box over my head. I…" he stuttered for a second, "I told you I wanted you, and you said _no_."

"I know."

For the first time since he'd known Brooke, her voice sounded small. And she looked disheveled. Ripped skinny jeans, ratty tank top, her wet hair was stringy and matted on her forehead, and the circles under her eyes were almost raccoon-like. Even when Brooke looked messy, it was a purposely messy. Right now…she looked like crap. "Seriously, what's going on? This is very unlike you –you've never apologized before."

Brooke's lips quirked up a little, a shadow of a smile, "Look you-you really cared about me. That was…new territory for me. And that really, really scared me, and I couldn't handle it…so I did what I always do. I bitched, and I pushed you away…and last night I got drunk and stupid." she cleared her throat, "You had feelings for me…"

"Right. And the natural response to that is to treat the guy who actually cares like crap." He retorted, "_Nice_."

"Yeah, well, maybe you got it right the first time…" Brooke looked at her hands, nervously intertwining her fingers together, "maybe I _am_ heartless. And, um, I wasn't being sarcastic last night – I was a shitty girlfriend. I'm sorry for that, too."

Luke sat on the edge of his bed. He was back to fiddling with the water bottle's label. This was so…_not_ Brooke. A chorus of _blah, blah, blah, blah, blahs_ interrupted his thoughts (he recognized the ringtone, it was Brooke's text message alert). Brooke leaned forward to pull her BlackBerry out of her jeans' back pocket. Who the fuck was texting her at eight in the morning?

_**From: clay-bear**_

_SOS. dimples, emergency. come over. NOW  
seriously. GET UR ASS OVER HERE. NOW._

Luke shook his head, unable to hold back the scoff, "Lemme guess," he said drily, "It's Nate, or Clay or Rachel or somebody else, and you gotta go…" he scoffed once more, "_Typical_."

Brooke gripped her phone. She considered texting Clay back that she'd get there soon. In the end, she hit the off button and shoved the lifeless phone back into her jeans' pocket. "I don't have to go." She replied with a raspy tone that Luke always found sexy. "I'm talking to you." she shrugged a shoulder, "It can wait."

Luke raised an eyebrow in surprise, "This is…I mean, thanks for the apology, but this doesn't change anything. I'm not just gonna forgive and forget. I'm always…_chasing after you_. And I meant what I said last night, I'm _out_ of this."

"Well, this really isn't some last ditch effort to get you back." Brooke stated in a matter-of-factly, almost resigned, tone. It really wasn't, she wasn't self-serving enough to expect that.

Luke chuckled, "Then what would you call _this_?"

Brooke sighed. What was this? This was her finally trying to get her act a little bit together; this was all her guilt about last night and the last few months coming to the surface ('cause despite all the fights they'd had, Luke had never hurt her like _that_ –like she had hurt him last night); maybe this was a small way to begin atoning for…_everything_. She wasn't really sure. But instead of blurting that out she said, "This is just me saying I'm sorry." She sighed, "And I heard you last night when you said you were done."

"What I said was that I wasn't going to wait around for you. And I'm not gonna chase you anymore, I'm tired of it." Luke smirked, "Maybe it's your turn to chase after me."

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Is that an invitation?"

Luke shrugged, "Maybe." He walked over to the mini-fridge and tossed her a bottle of Vitamin Water (dragonfruit, 'cause he remembered it was her favorite), he also tossed her a bottle of Advil, "Take three with lots of water. You look like shit."

"Thanks." Brooke did as instructed. Hydration was key –she always forgot that part.

Luke pulled a towel out of a drawer and threw it around his neck. If he was up early, he might as well shower while he had the bathroom to himself. His hand on the doorknob, he turned to glance at Brooke, "Tell Clay I said hi," he said offhand, "See you in class." He added before heading out.

Brooke got a sinking feeling in her stomach. She'd thought facing Luke again would be hard, but it hadn't been that bad. (If you didn't count the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach every time he looked at her.) "Goodbye, Luke."

She shook it off and climbed out the window. She glanced over at the Sigma Chi house across the street. With a sigh, she pulled out her cell and turned it on. The screen flashed _4 New Messages_. All from Clay.

_**From: clay-bear**_

_i'm waiting!  
where R U?_

_is UR phone off?  
i've got a situation here_

_dimples, where the FUCK R U!_

_CALL ME when U get this_

Brooke dialed Clay as she crossed the street on her way to the Sigma Chi house. "Fucking _finally_!" Clay said through the phone, "Where the fuck are you? I thought you'd crashed here, too. I've got a fucking situation here, B."

"I was busy. I do have other things to do besides waiting for you to call." Replied Brooke, "What's the big emergency, Clay? How can you even _have_ an emergency at eight in the morning?"

Clay sighed, Brooke could hear him pacing, "Dude, I'm freakin' out here! Look, I'm in the downstairs bathroom, and I need you to get your ass in here. Now. Watch out for the kitchen 'cause Hales and Jay were there, don't let anyone see you."

"Why are you whispering?" Brooke asked as she jimmied the front door open, "You know what, never mind, I'll sneak in, 007. See you in five."

Brooke made it past the kitchen (where Jake and Haley were cooking something –it smelled like omelets) undetected, and carefully let herself into the bathroom. She took in Clay sitting atop a closed toilet seat, gripping what looked like paper in his hand. "What the…"

"B, are you…" Clay let his voice trail off and sighed, "knocked up?"

"What?" Brooke shrieked, her voice an octave higher than normal, "_No_! Why the hell would you think that?"

Clay jumped off the toilet seat and showed her the positive pregnancy test, "'Cause when I was looking for some mouthwash I found something _completely_ different! It's gotta be someone's girl, right? Do you think it's Jess' chick?"

"What, you worried you haven't been handling your business?" Brooke questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I _always_ handle my business." Stated Clay in abnormally serious tone, and then he scoffed. "I learned how to put on a condom in fifth-frigging-grade."

Brooke chuckled, "Well, then, what?" This really didn't seem like it was that big a deal for them. It wasn't her and, according him, he wasn't anybody's baby-daddy.

"It's gotta be from one of the girls who crashed here, right?" Clay shrugged, "I don't know! I didn't want to leave lying there in the trash. If I could find it, anyone could."

"Clay, this could be from _anyone_," stated Brooke, taking the test away from him and throwing it into an empty box of Colgate toothpaste. "The house was full last night, any girl here could've sneaked in here for ten minutes and taken it."

The bathroom door opened and briefs-clad Tim Riggins walked in. "Oh, I agree with Davis." He commented as he calmly walked over to the urinal, "And it ain't like baby-momma's gonna come in here and claim it."

"You didn't lock the door?" asked Clay, slightly annoyed.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You didn't _tell me_ to lock the door." She replied as she walked over and pushed the lock in. "There."

Tim flushed, and smirked, "What, Eight," –he'd always called Clay by his jersey number– "you scared that the test is Peyton's? 'Cause she _did_ sneak outta here in the middle of the night."

"You're sleeping with Peyton?" Brooke asked in disbelief, "_Again_?" But then she clamped her mouth shut. Who was she judge right now? "Whatever. Are you sure it's not hers, then?"

Clay groaned, "It isn't! How many times do I have to say it, _I_ handle my business. What about that chick that Riggs was carting around last night? Whatsername, Hanna?"

"Well, I didn't sleep with whatsername. I hooked up with another girl, and she's up in my room right now." replied Tim with his usual drawl, "And for the record, I handle my business, too."

Brooke tossed the toothpaste box containing the pregnancy test back into the trash, "Well, there ya go, it doesn't belong to any of us. I doubt anyone's gonna go through the boxes in the trash. Problem solved."

"Well, shouldn't we…tell someone?" asked Clay, rubbing the back of his head, "Like Owen or something?"

Tim shrugged and Brooke frowned, "Clay, no! Whoever took that test here clearly didn't want anyone to know. It's not our place to tell anyone. We keep quiet. Until someone turns up pregnant or someone asks for help or whatever, we should say nothing."

"I always agree with the hot brunettes." Said Tim, sending a wink Brooke's way. "You in, Eight?"

Clay sighed, "In." he said, "Shouldn't we at least _try_ to find out whose it is? I mean, it could be someone we know. B, what if it's Freckles', huh?"

Rachel. No way. Rachel would definitely tell Brooke if she was pregnant… But then again, maybe Rachel would take the test here thinking she wouldn't get caught. And she hadn't been drinking last night. It couldn't be Rachel's, could it? "No way. It's not Rae's, she's on the pill." Assured Brooke.

"Then, in the interest of full disclosure and all that," started Tim as he ran a hand through his long locks of hair, "Rachel is the girl I hooked up with last night. But I couldn't have knocked her up that fast…?"

Brooke laughed and shook her head, "No, Tim." She said with a smile, "Look, lets not assume anything. We'll find out whose it is soon enough…or, you know, we won't."

"Dude, you slept with Freckles?" demanded Clay, playfully shoving Tim. "What the…?"

Tim smirked in his charming way, "Well, I oughta be getting back. See ya'll later."

Clay and Brooke exchanged looks, and the brunette shrugged. "Wanna get outta here?" she suggested, "I'm pretty sure the fridge at the apartment is full."

"Yeah, sure," Clay sighed, "C'mon, I gotta get dressed first."

Brooke's eyes widened, "In your room?"

"Yeah, that's were my clothes are." Clay replied, looking at her as if she were dumb for asking that.

"Um…lets just leave like this. You have your car, right? No one's gonna see. It'll be just like the undie run." Brooke flashed him a daring grin, "You scared or something?"

Clay raised an eyebrow. "What is with you?" Brooke only shrugged. He sighed, he was only wearing dark-blue boxers with little sailboats all over –he didn't even have any shoes on. "Um, sure, bring my car around," he said, "No fucking way am I running in my underwear all the way there. I'd freeze my ass off."

Brooke smiled appreciatively, "I'll honk when I'm out front."

-xx-

**Saturday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

The drive was short an awkward. Neither one of them spoke. Brooke was sure she looked weird –she was a fucking mess right now. And she noticed Clay was fidgety and nervous. They got into the apartment and Brooke threw a few chocolate-chip Eggos in the toaster. It wasn't the world's best breakfast, but it'd have to do.

Brooke watched as Clay fiddled with his fork and sighed, "Okay, what's got you so twisted? Is this really because of the whole pregnancy test thing? Are you scared that it actually is Peyton's like Tim said?"

"Look, I handle my business," Clay sighed, "But…when you were in New York, when Peyt and I started hooking up again, I was really drunk…and I don't remember if…" his ocean-blue eyes rose to meet hers, "It can't be hers, right?"

"No. It'll be fine, even if you were drunk, Peyton's careful." Said Brooke, "The whole Scott family is like a living, breathing condom add." From what she recalled, Luke and Nate had been an accident conceived in the back of their father's car the night of senior prom. Apparently Dan had been talking to them about safe sex since they were twelve. (Though she suspected it was probably Karen who'd warned Peyton of the perils of unprotected sex.)

Clay nodded, he wasn't really gonna calm down until he talked to Peyton. He studied Brooke's face and nodded that she looked off, too. "What's wrong with you? Basher said he gave you something last night. I thought you were going sober for the party."

Brooke pressed her lips together forming a straight line. Was she gonna tell Clay about hooking up with Nate? She'd always told Clay everything, but this was different. She was actually ashamed and didn't want _anyone_ to know. But what if Nate told? She hadn't even thought about what was going through his mind. "I, um…I did sleep at Sigma Chi last night."

Clay furrowed his brow, and she continued, "I, uh, well, I got drunk. And high, Basher gave me something, and...well, I…"

"Spit it out already!" urged Clay, taking a sip of OJ. It couldn't have been that bad.

"I slept with Nate last night."

Clay's eyes widened, and he coughed, choking on juice, a few squirts of the orange liquid coming out his nose –that hadn't happened to him since he was ten. "Are you _serious_?" he asked, still coughing a little. "How the fuck did that happened?"

"I was _blitzed_ off my ass, he was drunk, too," Brooke groaned, "I know its not an excuse, but, you know, it is what it is. I mean, I can't exactly take it back, can I?"

"Fuck, B," muttered Clay, shaking his head. This was messed up. Word had spread around the party that she and Luke were back to one of their usual blowouts or whatever –he was sure it was mostly exaggerated, if it had really been a blowout he'd have found out about it. But if they were back to having one of their _things_, it meant that they were on the way to getting back together. From all that had been going on with Brooke lately, he could tell that she was still very much into Luke.

But this…and with Nate. It was bad. "Look, Dimples, y'know I'm always on your team, and I know my moral compass is always a little skewed, so…" he sighed, "when I say something's wrong, something's _really_ wrong."

"I know that! Don't you think I know that? I fucked up. But I'd have gone to bed with anyone, and that anyone ended up being Nate. I'm not even sure he remembers what happened. I mean, he's asleep now so its not like I'm gonna call him up so we can have chat about it, but…"

Clay nodded, "And logically I get all that, but with _Nate_, really? There are other less hurtful ways of kicking Luke in the 'nads…"

"I wasn't _trying_ to hurt him! He just, he said all these perfect, sweet things and–"

"–and you freaked and bolted." Finished Clay for her, "You know, you get a little scared so you act a little crazy."

Brooke only nodded, then sighed, "I was just looking for someone to spend the night with. I mean, he spent the night someone, too. I never _planned_ on it being Nate –he's one of my best friends, you know I don't like fooling around with friends. That always ends messy. It's why I've never slept with you!"

Clay chuckled at that, "Hey, I get it, it's…very _you_. You get scared, you run, you sleep with inappropriate guys. It's what you _do_."

"When have I ever done _this_ before?"

"When you and Caleb took a break and you slept with his friend Pogue, when you and Victoria had that thing and you slept Mr. Fitz our AP English teacher," Clay listed, counting them off with his fingers, "when you got pissed with your dad and slept with Joshua, his half-gay assistant, when–"

"–fine! I get it, it happens to me a lot," surrendered Brooke with a groan, "But this is different. This _wasn_'t on purpose." Before, everything was a calculated move, part of a game to get even whenever she got pissed. The Nate-thing hadn't been like that. "You know…this is... It sucks and, ideally, I'd have slept with any of the other hundred guys who were running around, but this isn't some cheap _Lifetime_ movie where I learn a big life lesson at the end. This is real life and I'm _screwed_. Ugh, I've made such a mess out of everything."

Clay let out a small laugh, and Brooke shot him a _what's-so-funny-about-this_ glare. "I'm sorry, it's just," he chuckled, "Well, suddenly the who's-pregnant thing doesn't seem like such a big issue anymore."

Brooke narrowed her eyes, "Well, at least there's _that_." she replied dryly.

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, this whole thing's in the vault." He said raising his hands in a peace gesture, "I'm not gonna tell anyone, but…you know how the rumor mill is 'round here. Somebody somewhere saw something and they're going to tell."

"That sounds vaguely threatening."

Clay shrugged, "I'm just saying…you never know who knows what."

"Lets just eat and try to get through the rest of the day."

"And what're you gonna do about Nate?" asked Clay, resting his chin atop the palm of his hand in a pensive manner. "Are you gonna avoid him or what?"

Brooke rested her forehead on the cool, smooth surface of the table. Any way she spun it, it sucked. But she remembered her bases: the best defense was always a good offense. "So, are you gonna ask Peyton if you're gonna be a daddy or what?"

"Touché," Clay nodded, emptying his glass of juice.

They'd spent the rest of the day holed up in Brooke's room, their phones on off, hiding from everyone else and cuddled up with comforters as they watched DVDs in Brooke's laptop and munched off the few snacks Brooke had stashed in a drawer. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it worked for them. (And, at least for the next twelve hours, it would do.)

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke and Clay finally got out of the brunette's bedroom at ten o'clock the next day. Haley and Rachel ran frantically around the kitchen making pancakes. They noticed that Jake was perched on the kitchen island tossing Cheerios into his mouth right out of the box.

"They wouldn't let me help," he mumbled between mouthfuls, and shrugged, "I don't know what they're whipping up, but it smells _good_."

Rachel laughed, taking in Brooke and Clay's appearance (he still had on his sailboat boxers and she still had on yesterday's tank-top and a pair of short-shorts, both's hair was a mess). "What the hell happened to you two? We looked for you yesterday, but it was like you'd gone off-grid."

"We called, too," added Haley, "Your phones were off."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Don't pry." With Brooke and Clay, it was best to stay out of the situation until they asked for help. Otherwise you were gonna be pulled into a mess you really wouldn't know how to handle. Those two always equaled some sort of trouble.

Rachel and Haley served up the pancakes they'd been making and everyone scarfed them down pretty quickly. Clay and Jake had volunteered for clean-up duty while the girls showered and changed.

"Well, where's everyone going?" asked Brooke when she noticed everyone was ready to go.

"Phi Delta's in a beer pong contest against the Lambda Sigs down at O.P.M," explained Jake, "I'm playing, 'cause you know I know how to dunk 'em!"

"And I'm oh so proud!" beamed Haley sarcastically, throwing an arm around Jake's shoulder, "I'm off to Al's to meet up with Peyton. We're trying to book a band for a show. You're meeting up with me later, right, hon?" Jake dutifully nodded as he flashed his gorgeous girlfriend a grin.

"Ooh!" cooed Rachel, "Who?" Haley shook her head and gave her an I'm-not-telling look. Rachel chuckled, "Alright, don't jinx it. I'm heading over to Sigma Chi." She turned to Clay, "Boxer Boy, you wanna give a ride?"

Clay nodded, "I aim to please."

Rachel turned to Brooke, "How about you, B, you in? It's poker night."

The redhead noted the awkward look that passed between her best friend and Clay. Then Brooke shook her head, "Um, no, I've got a ton of homework, two papers due tomorrow."

"Oh…kay, then." Said Rachel, scrutinizing both of them with her gaze. What was up?

Then Brooke looked up from her hands, "Hey, Rae, can you come with me to my room for a sec?" she asked suddenly, "I, uh, need your help with…a thing."

Once they were inside, the door carefully locked behind them. Brooke turned to face her best friend with a very serious look. "Hey, Rae, I'm just asking here. Seriously, no judgment, not from me. But I do have to ask," said Brooke quickly, her words nearly jumbled, "Are you pregnant?"

The brunette noticed a look of sheer terror cross her best friend's features, but it was there for less than a second. If you'd blinked, you would've missed it. "What–no–what? W-why would you even ask me that?"

"Look, someone took a pregnancy test at the Sigma Chi house last night. At first I figured it couldn't have been yours. No way, you'd have told me about it. But then…well, it made sense. We're always there, it's a frat house, and no one would've known it was yours. And, I don't know, maybe you were scared to tell me." There was an awkward pause, "Well, are you?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I already told you I'm not." She assured. "I mean it, B, I'm not knocked up. There's nothing baking in my oven. I'm…good. It's all good." Then she sighed, "Um, are you sure you don't wanna tag along to Sigma Chi?"

"I'm sure," replied Brooke with a swift nod, "And, um, don't tell anyone about the test. It'd probably be best to not panic the entire house with boys wondering who's the future baby-daddy."

Rachel cracked a smile, "You got it, B." she said, "Um, I'll see you later."

Brooke fell back onto her bed with a grown. Yeah, she (sort of) believed Rachel when she assured her she wasn't pregnant. But then there was the whole Nate thing. She'd thought about how Luke would react, and how her dynamic with Nate would change, but she'd only spared a passing thought on how Rachel would react (if she would react at all, Brooke couldn't be sure either way). She wasn't ready to tell her yet –she wasn't really to tell _anyone_ yet.

Never had a one-night hook-up come with so much crap attached to it.

Yep, fucking _great_.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

As per usual, Haley had gotten to Al's early. She headed over to the bar and ordered a Coke. A few girls from the cheer squad came over to say hello. They exchanged the usual small talk and then they walked off to their football-playing clichés of a boyfriend. (Not that Haley was one to talk seeing as she had her _own_, basketball-playing cliché of a boyfriend.)

Then an all-too familiar voice pulled her away from her thoughts. "So, you haven't answered my valentine."

Haley suppressed a groan. It was the _current_ bane of her existence: Julian Baker. "Ugh, when I hadn't seen you in the last few days, I assumed you'd trekked back to LA."

"Does this mean you're not going with me to see Band Of Horses?" Julian asked with one of his ought-to-be-illegal grins. "Cause I got you the tickets and everything."

Haley sighed and pulled out her purse. She'd been carrying them around since she'd gotten them, waiting to bump into him so she could give them back. "No, I won't. Find a girl who _doesn_'t have a boyfriend."

"I have faith that if I wait long enough, that girl will be _you_." Julian quipped with a wink.

Haley shook her head, and slung her bag over her shoulder. This had gone on long enough. She was done playing games with him. "Goodbye, Julian."

Julian gripped her arm and stopped her from walking out, "C'mon! Hales, it's me," he said, "And you used to like the chase," he flashed her a grin, "What happened?"

"What _happened_?" repeated Haley with an extremely annoyed tone, "What happened is _I_ grew up, Julian!" she scoffed, "We broke up, and I left high school behind. And you need to _grow up_, too!"

"Hey, you know what, maybe I grew up, too," replied Julian, his expression turning serious, "That doesn't mean that my feelings for you just went away."

Haley sighed. She actually got where he was coming from. (Being empathetic was in her nature, and it was times like these she wished that she had the stone-cold-bitch gene that Brooke and Rachel seemed to have been born with.) "And I get that, I really do," she said earnestly, "I was unfair to you because there really was no closure between us, but…it happened, and it ended, and I moved on. I'm with _Jake_."

"Yeah, _for now_," Julian scoffed, "There's…something between us –it's been there since I first met you, and I know you know it, too. Why won't you just admit it?"

Haley shook her head, "'Cause there isn't."

"Don't lie." – "Julian!" Haley shrieked, frustration taking a hold of her.

"What? Huh," he challenged, unwilling to relent. "Why are you so sure we can't happen?"

"Because I'm _pregnant_, Julian!" Haley hissed furiously, "Now be kind enough, and smart enough to just _walk away_."


	25. Wake Me In Time To Be Out In The Cold

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So…I am now living in a place that is hurricane prone and my internet died. But this chapter was actually finished a while ago so at least there's that. Shout to all my reviewers 'cause you're always my inspiration. And read on, dudes. Tell me whatcha think.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction  
**__  
__Wake Me In Time To Be Out In The Cold_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Haley was pretty sure she'd broken about twenty different laws driving back to the apartment. (Which was not only illegal, but also pretty reckless for a pregnant girl.) Telling Julian she was pregnant was the first time Haley had actually said the words out loud. They were just starting to sink in now. She was _pregnant_. _She_ was pregnant. Haley James, queen of careful planning and responsibility, Tutor Girl who is_ always_ prepared, had gotten knocked up.

Haley clomped into the apartment, slamming her purse down on the table and kicking her shoes off in an almost violent manner (one knocked down a lamp). The conversation with Julian kept playing over in her mind.

"_Because I'm _pregnant_, Julian." Haley hissed furiously, "Now be kind enough, and smart enough to just _walk away_."_

Now, Julian hadn't so much _walked away_, but rather remained rooted in his spot thus allowing Haley to make a quick getaway.

Brooke, who'd been sitting on the couch with her iTouch on at full volume and the muted TV was set on some random VH-1 reality show she wasn't really paying any attention to, plucked an earbud from her ear and turned around startled.

"Um, Hales," Brooke called tentatively –it looked as if Haley was about to star hyperventilating any second now. "Haley. Are you okay?"

The honey-blonde merely shook her head, leaning against the locked apartment door and sliding down to sit on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

Brooke jumped over the couch and walked over to Haley, sitting down next to her Indian-style. "Sweetie," said Brooke, hesitantly putting an arm around Haley's shoulders. (It was always best to not make any sudden movements.) "What's wrong?"

Haley leaned her head against the door, closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. "I think I'm pregnant." It came out in a whisper –it was so low that Brooke almost missed it, but she knew better than to ask Haley to repeat herself.

"Oh," croaked Brooke. That somehow caused Haley to burst into tears and lean on Brooke's shoulder, clinging to the brunette while her body was suddenly overtaken by sobs. "It'll be okay. It'll all be okay." Repeated Brooke over and over, rubbing circles around Haley's back.

Brooke wasn't sure how much time had passed, but they were still sitting on the floor. Haley's head was now resting on Brooke's lap as the brunette continued to rub circles on the honey-blonde's back. It all made sense now. It was actually kind of a brilliant move on Haley's part to take a pregnancy test at the Sigma Chi house –no one would be able to trace it back to her, and even if they found it, who would've thought it was hers? Good-girl Haley James, get knocked up and take the test at the Sigma Chi frat house? No way.

Finally, Haley spoke up again, "What am I gonna do?"

"Uh…" Brooke stuttered. This definitely wasn't familiar territory for her and she had zero words of wisdom on the subject. "Have you told Jake yet?"

Haley shook her head. All she'd taken was the pregnancy test she'd gotten at the off-campus Kwik-E-Mart. Statistically speaking, she knew those things were pretty accurate, but it still wasn't a hundred percent. And she wouldn't really believe it until it was a hundred percent. "I…I need to go to…the doctor first. I can't…I can't tell him if I'm not sure. I need to be sure."

"Right." Brooke muttered. "Right, um, well, lets do that. I'll drive you. I-I can drive you, and we can…you can find out for sure, and then…figure out what to…"

"Okay." Haley responded with a thin voice. She sat up straight once more and sighed. "It'll be okay, right?"

Brooke nodded weakly. "Yeah…" she said raspingly, "Yeah, sweetie, it'll all be okay. It'll all work out. I promise."

"I'm scared, Brooke," stated Haley, staring straight ahead into the thin air, "Tell me something. Tell me anything to get my mind of things. I don't know, tell me what's going on with you."

"I slept with Nate at the Sigma Chi party." stated Brooke in an almost matter-of-fact voice, and after a pause she added, "It was a horrible mistake and… I slept with Nate at the Sigma Chi party."

Normally, Haley would've broken out into one of her lecture/rants about all the different ways in which that had been wrong. (And it had been wrong on so many levels.) But right now she was too tired, too drained, too confused, too…whatever, to break out into long talk about the moral complexity of it all.

Instead, Haley only pursed her lips in thought for a second, then, "That was _really_ shitty, Brooke."

Brooke's lips twitched up in a small, sad smile –she was grateful that there was at least one person too wrapped up in her own problems to focus on hers. "Yeah, I know."

"And you gotta tell Luke." added Haley, still staring straight ahead dizzily.

"I know that, too." Replied Brooke.

Haley sighed, "Okay, then."

"Okay." There was another extended silence/pause. Brooke stared at her nails absentmindedly –the black fingernail polish was still shiny and for a second she considered scratching it off just so she could have something to do (she opted against it, though). Haley had stopped crying now, and then she wiped the salty tears that suddenly felt like they were burning her cheeks.

Brooke cleared her throat, "Hales, we should…go to the hospital. I know it's Sunday and this isn't exactly a life-and-death emergency, but we can get you a test. So you can know for sure and then…well, we'll figure it out from there, okay?" Haley only nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'm gonna go put some pants on and grab my coat."

As she got up, Haley squeezed her hand tightly and Brooke flashed her an encouraging smile.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Durham Regional Hospital**

Brooke had driven to the university hospital first, but that only seemed to send Haley into a slightly paranoid, completely frantic state so they ended up making the drive all the was to Durham Regional. It felt like it took forever –the waiting, the talking to the doctor, the waiting for the test results– and, finally, a nurse handed them an envelope.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant."

Then they just sat in the parked car for a while. Brooke felt so out of her league that it wasn't even funny. She had plenty of knowledge on how to _avoid_ getting pregnant, but zero info on what to do once you _got_ pregnant.

"So, you're…I mean, it's…Hales, you're gonna have a baby." Said Brooke, turning to face her, "It's official now."

Haley shook her head, "I can't do this. I can't-I can't handle this. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not now."

"Sweetie, it'll be okay. I mean, it's not planned and it isn't exactly ideal, but it happened and you can do this, you know–"

"No, Brooke!" cut in Haley. Her voice came out like a very loud shriek within the very small car. "Jake and I, we're in college! We're…not ready for this. Jake's…he's a Beer-Pong tournament right now. I'm a cheerleader. For god's sake, we're college sophomores! How are we supposed to do this?"

Brooke looked at her lap. She'd never seen Haley panic before. Haley had always been cool and collected –the sound judgment and the voice of reason within the group. "Well…I mean, does that mean…do you want to…" she struggled to find the right words, "exercise your legal right to choose?"

"No," Haley shook her head, "I can't _not_ have it."

"Well, you're kind of out of options here, Hales," Brooke huffed, "Look, I know this has to be really scary and messed up, and I can't even begin to understand everything you're feeling, but…you can do this. I know you can. And I'll help you. Rachel will help you. And I _know_ Luke will help you, too. Even Clay will pitch in –and kids love Clay. Your baby is gonna be so spoiled. Besides, you and Jake are gonna be kick-ass parents. If you wanna do this, I'm a hundred percent sure you can."

Hell, if her parents had done it, so could Haley and Jake. They were far more stable and mature.

"Do you honestly believe that, Brooke?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't, Hales," assured the brunette, "Look, all the fear and messed up feelings aside, you're going to be a mom. And Jake's going to be a dad. That's a pretty big thing, sweetie." Said Brooke, mustering up a little enthusiasm, "And it's kind of amazing. So, congratulations, Hales."

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Haley flashed her a tiny smile, "It is a little amazing, isn't it?"

Brooke smiled her patented dimpled-smile, "That's the spirit, Tutor Girl…or, you know, Tutor Mom-To-Be," she chuckled, and Haley couldn't help but laugh a little, too. "C'mon, lets go home."

It was almost three o'clock and she had one more stop to make before the day ended. She had to tell Luke everything that happened at the H&H party. She'd helped Haley deal through her issue, now she had to deal with her own.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

The walk over to the Phi Delta house felt very long. Brooke still had that lingering feeling that she smelled like the hospital, and then there was that burrowing in her stomach –like she might throw up any second now. Plus, she hadn't slept that much last night.

Brooke did her familiar ritual and climbed up the trellis into Luke's room, sitting on the windowsill and hugging her kneed to her chest. Luke was apparently out –some of the guys were down at a Beer-Pong tournament, and the others were at the gym.

Waiting around for a while actually seemed like a good idea, she could figure out what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. Just blurting it out seemed like an incredibly stupid idea, but giving it a big build-up wasn't looking all that appealing, either.

Telling Luke what happened would change everything –between them, between him and Nate.

Despite being twins, Luke and Nate had never been best friends. They'd always had other buddies to fill that roll –Luke had Jake, and Nate had Clay.

Then there was Dan. He'd always gotten a perverse joy out of pitting them against one another. In spite of themselves, the tendency had stuck, they battled it out on the basketball court, and they were on (sometimes) rival fraternities. But it had always been a somewhat friendly rivalry.

Luke walked into the room and the time for figuring out the right words was over. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Twice in two days," he commented as he took off his wife beater, "You didn't come around this much when we were sleeping together. What's up?"

"Needed to talk to you." Brooke whispered, looking down at her feet. "Um, someth–"

The bedroom door opened and one of the guys tossed Luke a basketball. "Thanks, dude," called out Luke, closing the door once more, and then turning to face Brooke again. He scrunched up his nose. Something was clearly off, "So…why are you here again?"

"Look, at the Hellraisers party you, um, you said things, and…it was wonderful and I freaked and I ran, so...anyway, I got really, really smashed and I didn't want to spend the night alone, which was stupid 'cause in retrospect if I wouldn't have freaked I wouldn't have been spending the night alone and this whole wouldn't be happening. Just another thing to add to the list of stupid decisions I've been making lately…"

Luke frowned, he could see were this was headed –she'd slept with someone at the party. Sure, he was a little pissed –he _did_ pour his heart out to her right then and there– but then again he also slept with someone else that night. It was what they did. "Look, spit it out already!" he didn't have the patience for this right now.

Brooke licked her lips, "I…" she sighed, "I slept with Nathan at the party." It came out much more raspy and lower than she expected it to…but at least she said it. It'd have been worse if he found out from someone else. And even if word didn't get out, she wouldn't have been able to keep something like that from him.

It was like time stilled, and suddenly the room went quiet.

_BANG_!

Luke slammed the basketball against the nightstand, shattering the lamp into what seemed like a million pieces. Brooke involuntarily flinched, squeezing her eyes shut for a second. She didn't dare to move or speak. It wasn't like she was scared of him…but she was just frozen.

Luke's breathing was heavy and he had this look…this angry as shit look, but he wasn't doing anything. Normally, he'd be yelling until he was hoarse and he'd already be halfway over to the Sigma Chi house to beat the shit out of Nate. The fact that he wasn't was worrisome. He walked over to Brooke and towered over her, his palms pressed against the wall effectively pinning her against it. "Get the fuck out of my room." He hissed in a low, cold tone.

"Luke…" Brooke croaked out. Her voice was still small and raspy, and even if he'd have actually let her say something, she had no words at that moment.

"I am so fucking serious right now." Luke dropped his hands off the wall and paced towards the door. Turning to face her, his now ice-cold blue eyes meeting hers, "Get the fuck out of here, Brooke!" he roared, kicking a table so hard that a leg broke off.

Duke, Alexander and Jake popped their heads in upon hearing the noise. "Whoa!" – "Hey!" – "What the…" – "What happened?"

Luke scoffed at the sight, "Fucking perfect," he muttered, "All four of you, get the fuck outta my room." He barked, slamming his fist against the wall, "I'm serious. Brooke get the fuck out!"

But the brunette appeared to be frozen. Jake got a grip on Luke before he could hit something else, "B, c'mon. Get out." He ordered, still restraining the blonde.

"Brooke," called out Alexander, eyeing Luke carefully, "C'mon, I'll give you a lift." Brooke still didn't move. All of them were wondering what the fuck had happened.

"Oh, fuckin' hell," Duke rolled his eyes, sidestepping Jake and Luke, and grabbing Brooke's arm and pulling her outside the room. "Move your ass, B," he muttered, shooting Jake a questioning look.

"You heard the man," Jake said, loosening his grip on Luke, "Everyone get the fuck out." Once the door was closed, he turned to face Luke, "Want to talk about it?"

Luke shook his head, "Fuck that. Fuck Nate. And fuck Brooke. Or better yet, let 'em just fuck each other since they seem to be into that." he roared, "'Cause I honestly don't give a fuck anymore!"

Jake's eyes widened, "…_what_?"

Outside, Alexander and Duke shifted awkwardly, pretending they didn't hear any of that. "Xander, you said somethin' 'bout giving B a ride." Said Duke, running a hand through his buzzed hair, "I think its time to go now."

Alexander nodded, "Right. Sure." He said, "Your place, Boss?" he asked quietly into her ear.

The brunette shook her head. "Al's."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

Brooke headed over to the bar and sat on the first empty stool she spotted. "Gimme a shot, Al." she called out, "Something strong, please?"

"It went that good, huh?" asked Clay as he took a pull from his beer, plopping down next to her.

"I've never seen him this mad before." Brooke said flatly, "And…there was yelling, and kicking, and throwing of things–"

"–whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" cut in Clay, "He _threw_ something at you?" he asked in a concerned and defensive tone. In any other situation, Brooke would've smiled at his protectiveness, but right now she couldn't muster up the energy for it.

Brooke shook her head, "Not at me, just…around the room." Explained Brooke, "Look, it was bad. And I get it. I mean it, I totally understand him. If the roles were reversed I'd be pissed, too." She sighed, "And I wouldn't forgive me, either. He _hates_ me now."

"He doesn't hate you, Brooke." Clay said matter-of-factly, "He's just angry and…his heart is broken."

"That's a nice way of putting it. Luke's a good guy, and I blew it. And I'd hate me, too. He poured his heart out, and I up and slept with _Nate_. C'mon. You don't have to coddle me from this one, Clay. He hates me." Brooke sighed, "And the shit storm's not even over yet. I haven't talked to Nate yet –I don't know _how_ to talk to Nate again." Stated Brooke, nervously licking her lips. "And I haven't told Rachel, either."

Clay rubbed the back of his head anxiously, "You, uh, you kind of don't have to, Dimples," he said, "Nate already did. This morning when I went to change we talked about it and…he was pretty messed up, too. And then after a while Rachel started wondering why he hadn't come down so she went to look for him upstairs and…anyway, then Haley called and she asked me for a ride, and here we are."

Brooke sighed, downing her shot and signaling Al to bring her another one. "Huh, how'd that go? Is she mad?"

"Hard to tell." Replied Clay with a shrug, "Look, I've never really been that good at reading Rachel. Honestly, that's Nate's area of expertise." He hummed, "That's funny 'cause he actually reads her almost as good as I read you."

"Yeah, ha-ha," said Brooke dryly. "Did she look mad at all?"

Clay shrugged again. "I dunno…she looked normal. But then she does do that whole eerily-calm-yet-still-pissed-off anger so, who knows?"

"Jeez, are you being purposely vague?" asked Brooke with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I'm not," replied Clay shaking his head, he was grinning –he's always grinning. "I genuinely don't know. Look, the worst part's over, right? Luke now knows. Things can only look up from here."

"Cla-a-a-y!" came a whiny chorus from the dance floor –Audrey and Kara, more Tri-Delt sluts.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Guess you found your Alex-replacement."

"I'm a dude, I have needs." Clay smirked, "Look, uh, I can stay and hang if you want me to. We can do shots. Maybe this will be the night we finally make it through all of Al's Twenty Signature Shooters."

Brooke smiled and shook her head, "No, that's okay. Go. Enjoy your…slutty threesome. Have fun."

"You sure?" Clay asked, tilting his head in that dreamy way and flashing her an endearing smile. "I can stay."

Brooke shook her head, "I'm a big girl. Go." She said, planting a goodbye kiss on his cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Aight," Clay said, getting off his stool, "I'll see ya. But, uh, easy on the liquor, Boozy. Apparently, drinking really impairs _your_ judgment."

Brooke let out a low groan, "_So_ not ready to joke about it, C."

Clay's stool didn't stay empty for long. "Buy you a beer?"

Brooke gave him a once-over and she couldn't hold back the smirk, "Scruffy." She said dryly, "Why are you here? Why are you even still in town?"

"Well, I'm here," Julian took a pull from his beer, "trying to kill my pain or whatever. And I'm still in town 'cause I thought I had a shot with Haley." He shrugged, "Turns out I don't. I mean, I doubt she'd let me her…baby-daddy."

Brooke raised an eyebrow, surprised, "She told _you_? Really? _You_?"

"Well, I don't think she planned on it." Julian shrugged, "It just came out. And, uh, well, now I don't really know what to do." He let out a wry chuckle, "So, that's my thing –the thing that has me at the bar. It's stupid, really. Haley doesn't love me. And staying here was a mistake. I came to record the final show of Chris' tour and…I shouldn't have stayed. But enough about me so, why are you in the bar?"

"It's stupid, too. There was this guy and we…we've always been on-again, off-again –that's always been part of the game– but then he sort of went all out with a big-I-want-you-declaration and it was terribly, horribly…_wonderfully_ sweet. So, I just panicked and I shut him down. And then I got blitzed off my ass and…slept with his brother." Blurted Brooke out with an almost casual tone. It was easier talking about it with a stranger, "I just told him today and, well, he didn't take it well. Shocker, I know."

Julian snorted, "Jeez, you are way more fucked up than I am."

Brooke rolled her eyes and punched his arm, "Shut up! At least I'm not the one chasing after a taken, pregnant girl. You're a homewrecker. That's worse than me." she sighed, "I just…I never thought it'd end with him hating me." Brooke said, "I've never wanted him to hate me."

Julian raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yes, really." Replied Brooke with a frown, "What kind of dumbass question is that? Nobody wants to be hated."

"I'm sorry, it just, it sounds to me like you really cared about this guy, but you did this horrible thing to him –and yeah, you were plastered, but still…I mean, you must've known all the ways in which it was wrong. So, I gotta ask, are you sure you didn't want him to hate you, or at the very least be unbelievably pissed at you?"

Brooke stared at him quizzically. "Look, I don't know, okay. I wasn't…thinking straight. He said he wanted me, but…a lot of guys have _wanted_ me before and they've never stuck around." She shrugged, "And now he's not sticking around anymore, either."

Julian smirked, "That's a little convoluted, isn't it?"

"Maybe I got issues." Brooke replied with a glare.

"Well, I don't know you," Julian said, taking a pull from his beer bottle, "Maybe you _do_ have issues. Or maybe you just happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply...shallow." he shrugged, "I wouldn't know either way."

Brooke eyed him, "Thanks for that charming analysis," she said, "And who're you supposed to be, Freud?"

"If I were Freud I'd say this is all because of your daddy issues. I'm no Freud." Said Julian, "But I am a psych major. Kind of a nerd, too. I graduated a year early."

"And here I thought you were an indie-movie-rocker guy."

Julian flashed her a grin, "I am. Psych's the back-up plan." He said, "Look, just take advantage of my free advice –I am an excellent advice giver."

"Right. 'Course you are." Muttered Brooke, "So, what's your advice?"

"Fact: most relationships are over before they end. But that's not the point. It's still an ending. So, you mourn the loss. You have conflicting emotions about it. It's normal. And then oftentimes there's this feeling, like a sense of relief, like you're free again. We've all experienced it at some point, but no one wants to admit to it. Like there's something wrong about feeling that way." Julian said with an encouraging half-smile, "But you're only human."

Brooke narrowed her eyes, "Okay, can you, uh, like, de-Yoda that reference for me or something. 'Cause I didn't get most of that."

Julian chuckled, "You don't think you deserve good things, which is probably why you fuck around so much, but that's not the point."

"Then _what_ is the point?"

"What do you think I should do now?" Julian asked with a pensive pout. "What's the right thing to do?"

Brooke shrugged a shoulder, "Want an honest answer?" Julian nodded, "Pack up and leave. And not because you're not, like, good enough for Haley or something, but because she's in love with Jake –and, dude, they're having a baby. Like, a real-life, talking-and-breathing, little human being. So, you should go. Let her get her life back to normal. Because staying here, chasing after her…it's petty, and selfish, and mean-spirited. And if you really care about her you should let her be happy."

"There's a…there's a redeye to LA leaving in a few hours." Julian replied, "Should I be on it?" Brooke arched her eyebrows and nodded. Julian sighed, "Y'know, I don't even know your name."

Brooke flashed him one of his signature dimpled-smiles. "I'm Brooke. Brooke Davis." She said shaking his hand, "Nice to officially meet you, Julian Baker."

Julian stood up and pulled out an envelope from his back pocket, "Here," he said, sliding it across the bar to Brooke, "Give that to Hales. Tell her it's hers."

"Oh, uh, god, this isn't, like, some big, gushy, goodbye, love letter, is it?" asked Brooke scrunching up her nose.

Julian chuckled, "No, it is not." He assured her, "She'll know what it is. And just…tell her I said sorry and goodbye." Julian threw his messenger over his shoulder and started making his way towards the exit. He turned to face Brooke once more, "You're better than that. And you _do_ deserve good things. _That_'s the point. So just…stop fucking around. This guy, he probably can't forgive you right now. You made a mistake. And that's alright. 'Cause that's not the part that matters. It's the part that comes _after_ that matters. The part when you make it right." Julian gave her a wink, "So, make it right again, Brooke Davis."

Brooke stared at him quizzically and smiled, "I'll see you around, Julian Baker…well, I won't see you, but…you know…"

Julian flashed her one of his ought-to-be-illegal grins. It suited him. "Yeah. Goodbye."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke arrived at the apartment early –she'd followed Clay's advice and cut off the booze early. She walked into Rachel's room and plopped down next to her on the bed. The redhead scooted over a little and continued reading her book. Eventually she sighed, "Something's wrong with my glasses," she said, taking them off and tossing them aside.

"Yeah, there is something wrong with them. They're mine." Replied Brooke, yours are on the living room table. Then she sighed, "Rae, are we gonna talk about it? I know you and Nate…" she let her voice trail off, "So, are we gonna talk about it?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Look, it's fine. He's not my boyfriend. We haven't even been sleeping together lately. And I don't get all emotional over people I'm not dating."

"Ugh," Brooke groaned, "You're upset. It was a mistake and I'm sorry, and it'll most definitely not happen again."

"It's really fine, Brooke. He's not my boyfriend, we're not involved. I'm fine." Replied Rachel with her usual stoic tone. Brooke knew Nate wasn't just some guy to Rachel. They were best friends who happened to sleep together on occasion. They were a thing. It was complicated. "Just…stop apologizing and move on already. What's done is done."

Brooke's eyes glistened, "I did a terrible thing." she whispered. It wasn't a question. It was an acknowledgement. Yeah, it had been a mistake, and it had been wrong…but mostly it had just been stupid and terrible.

There was a charged pause that seemed to stretch on endlessly –as if time were suddenly moving in very slow motion. "We all do terrible things." Relented Rachel in an almost mechanical tone.

"Thank you." answered Brooke automatically.

Rachel stood up, "You're welcome." She said heading out of the bedroom.

Brooke sighed, "Right…you're not mad. We're _fine_." She said to herself. _Fucking hell_.

-xx-

**Monday  
Duke Gym**

The gym was packed as usual. The basketball team was running drills while cheerleading squad was stretching over by the mats. Brooke ran inside, tossing her gym-bag on the bleachers. Her alarm hadn't gone off that morning, and March Madness squad training began this week.

Brooke was huffing, out of breath, "Hey, guys," she gasped out, "Sorry I'm late, but you're stretching." She said as she moved over to the front to cue up the music. "That's good."

"Well, it looks like I'm not the biggest slut in the squad anymore." Theresa fake-coughed as Brooke walked by her.

The brunette whipped around, "What did you just say to me?"

"Hey, I didn't stutter." Replied Theresa cockily, "Rumor has it you've gotten under both Scott Brothers. Real slutty move, B. So, congrats, you're officially the squad's biggest _whore_."

Brooke wasn't sure how word about it had gotten out –well, it probably had something to do with her and Luke screaming about it in the Phi Delta house, but she didn't think it'd spread this fast. And she _definitely_ didn't think Theresa would ever have the balls to get up in her face like that.

And then it happened. Brooke stepped up to Theresa and, much to everyone's surprise, Theresa didn't step down. It took less than a second for it to escalate –Theresa actually slapped Brooke. So, naturally, Brooke puncher her and she fell flat on her ass. Theresa in turn got up and rammed Brooke.

The basketball team stared at them in awe. A few of the guys clapped and whooped occasionally along with loud wolf-whistles. Normally, the girls would watch the boys fight or get chewed out by Coach K. or, back in what was starting to look like the good ol' days, watch Brooke and Luke go at it.

"Beat that hoe up, B. Davis!" cheered on Skills with an amused grin. "Atta girl, kick some booty!" he added when Brooke knocked Theresa flat on her ass.

Luke continued to run up the shooting drills, not even bothering to pay attention to what was going on –his anger had apparently done wonders for his game. Nate stood back, he wasn't sure if he _should_ step in. Sex had made everything complicated and they'd been avoiding each other like the plague for the past three days, neither sure of how to have that particular morning-after talk.

"Rae!" Haley elbowed the redhead in the ribs, "Do something!" she hissed quietly.

Rachel groaned, rubbing her side. "What do you want me to do?" hissed back the redhead, "I am not a freaking referee. Why don't _you_ separate them?"

"Because," Haley pulled Rachel down to ear level, "pregnancy and catfights don't mix that well. Just do this for me. Pull them off each other!"

Rachel sighed, grabbing a handful of Theresa's long hair and pulling her off. "Alright, enough!" she yelled, stepping in between them, "'Resa, I don't know who the fuck told you you're biggest bitch 'round here, but they lied. So step the fuck down." Then she turned to face Brooke and pulled her aside, "And you're the squad _Captain_, B, get it together."

The brunette's hazel-green eyes scanned the room. Everyone was staring at her. Normally, she was used to it, but this felt weird. "Y'know what, since I've got such a captive audience, everyone listen up. Yeah, I made a stupid decision and fucked the wrong guy. It's tough, but it happens. But there's only _one_ person here who has the right to talk to me about it. As for everyone else, I'm Brooke Davis, this squad's Captain. If anyone's got a problem with it, get the fuck out of the gym and consider yourself off the squad." Then she turned to the basketball team, "Show's over. Back to playing with your balls, guys."

Skills and the other guys raised their palms as a peace gesture and went back to their practice. Jake and Nate stood aside, still staring at Brooke and the girls.

Two other girls were holding towels to Theresa's bleeding nose, "Bitch, if you broke my nose–"

"–oh, go cry a fuckin' river to someone who actually gives a shit." Hissed Brooke, she was in no mood to listen to empty threats.

Bevin scrunched up her nose, "Wait, who's the one allowed to talk to Brooke about screwing Nathan?" At that, Brooke groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Aight, baby girl," said Skills, grabbing Bevin's arm, "Uh, I'll give you a ride back home."

Brooke let out a huff of breath, "Practice today is cancelled. I want everyone here tomorrow early. If you don't show up, consider yourself off the squad." She said before walking out of the gym. Haley immediately followed her outside, waving goodbye to Jake.

Rachel walked over to Theresa, "'Resa, I've never had any problems with you, and if you want to be a bitch that's your problem. But if you touch my best friend again I will kick your ass. And I promise, my right hook's gonna break way _more_ than your nose." With that, trotted after Brooke and Haley.

The rest of the girls quickly dispersed in a cloud of whispers and muttering. Cheer practice rarely had any drama (since they mostly watched the basketball practice drama) and they were all aflutter.

Luke let out a wry chuckle at the sight –the first noise he'd made since Brooke had arrived at the gym.

"Seriously, dude?" Jake asked with a confused frown. "You think this is funny?"

Luke only scowled, "Well, Jake, it sure as shit ain't sad."

Jake sighed, "Hey, I get it. Brooke…well, it's fucked up what she did –what _they _did. But holding on to that anger and bottling it all in...it's not healthy, man." Honestly, he'd have preferred that Luke decked Nate, at least then he'd know what to do. It'd have been healthier. It'd have been _normal_. "You're pissed off all the time. I'm not saying forgiver them. I'm saying…do some breathing exercises or something to vent it out, dude. Maybe that'll cut some of the tension off your fadeaway."

Luke smirked as he sank another three-pointer effortlessly. His fadeaway was fucking _perfect_. "It's better to be pissed off than pissed on." He'd been pissed on enough. He was done, through being kicked around. He wasn't going to beat the shit out of Nate (though if his raven-haired brother spoke so much as a single word to him right now that will-power would go right out the window and he'd punch him until his hand was broken) and get himself messed up. That shit was over now. And all he had to focus on was his game. And the team. And winning the NCAA Championship. Screw everyone else. (But really, screw Brooke. Because he still couldn't believe she'd actually do that to him. Not after everyone they'd been through together.)

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke walked into the apartment in a rush –she'd been at the library hiding out and actually studying when she got a text from Clay saying there was some sort of emergency with Haley. When she got to the living room, Haley was sitting in between Clay and Rachel on the couch, each of them doing their part to comfort the honey-blonde. Clay got up and Brooke took his place in the couch.

"What happened?" asked Brooke –when she'd left, Haley had been relatively calm. Things were settling down, and she was going to tell Jake tonight.

Haley responded by letting out a loud, piercing sob. "I-ju-and then-I-we-I-sai-" then followed a long line of jumbled up half-words (she wasn't crying exactly, it was more like a some very panicky, incoherent mumbling), until finally she managed to say, "I told Jake and he just…he left. He walked out."

Brooke looked to Clay and Rachel for further information, but they just shrugged. "Uh, Jay-Jay probably needed a second to adjust to the news. I mean, you've known for a while and you're still processing everything. And Jake's not the kind to walk away." She said in her best soothing and comforting tone.

"Totally," followed Rachel, "I've known my fair share of deadbeats, and Jake is far from it. He'd never walk away from you. He loves you. And I _know_ he wouldn't leave his kid, either."

Haley only groaned, "Ugh," she muttered, "I'm gonna throw up." she announced, hightailing it to the bathroom.

Rachel sprang up from the couch, "I'm gonna get her some ginger ale." Said Rachel to no one in particular before heading into the kitchen.

Brooke turned to Clay, "What's up?"

"Well, uh, I was in class with Rae and then Hales called and she was…having some sort of weird crisis or whatever and then Rae just asked me for a ride and now here we are." Explained an obviously confused Clay. "Look, this is chick thing. I'm not that good at it."

Haley was back on the couch, her head resting on Rachel's lap as the redhead looked at both Clay and Brooke silently asking for some help. "I've got this. Thanks, C." said Brooke, sitting opposite to Rachel and rubbing Haley's back.

Then, the front door opened and Jake walked into the apartment. Haley bolted up from the couch and walked over to him. Brooke, Clay and Rachel took a step back and watched in silence as the couple faced each other.

"Uh, I got-did you know that the campus library has books on baby names?" Jake asked, pulling out a bunch of books from his backpack. "They had a ton of books about other stuff, too. You know, things to do before the baby comes."

Haley smiled, wiping a few tears off her cheek, "You got books. You went to get books."

Jake nodded, "Haley, I love you. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since we were eight years old –before I even _knew_ what loving someone was. No matter what's happened in my life, you've always been my one constant. And you always will be." he said, setting his backpack on the floor, "And I know that this is really sudden and shocking…but I also know we can do this. You and I can do this." then he kneeled down. "Marry me, Haley," he said, pulling out a ring from his jeans' pocket, "Marry me."


	26. Don't Feel A Thing—You Wish

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, this is late as hell. Classes started and none of my professors are taking it easy on me. Sorry, I've been buried under a shitload of course work, which didn't leave me any spare time for writing. Sorry, dudes. But read on. Tell me whatcha think.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction  
**__  
Don't Feel A Thing—You Wish  
("I'm Sorry"—"I Don't Care")_

-xx-

**Monday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke, Rachel and Clay's eyes were abnormally wide, their mouths hanging open completely agape.

They watched as Jake got down on one knee. "Marry me, Haley," he said, pulling out a ring from his jeans' pocket, "Marry me."

"Holy shit." They quietly muttered simultaneously. "Dude!" exclaimed Clay. Both Brooke and Rachel punched his arm, but Haley and Jake seemed to be oblivious to their presence.

Haley's eyes kept darting back and forth between Jake and the ring he was holding out to her. This was real. "You…want to get married? Jake, are you sure? 'Cause you don't have to do this just—"

"—I've always planned on being with you forever." Jake cut her off, "So, this is all happening sooner than either of us planned. It doesn't change anything. Today, tomorrow, three years from now—I want to get married because I love you and I'm all in with you. You and me, it's forever. So, lets make it official. Marry me."

"Yes." Haley smiled, "Yes. I love you and I'm all in, too. Lets do it. Lets get married."

Jake grinned, "Yeah?" Haley nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up, and swinging her around. "Yes!"

Brooke, Rachel and Clay still stood there, watching in shock. "Oh, my god. They're getting married." Gasped out Rachel with a surprised smile, "They're really doing it."

Haley turned to face them, raising her left hand to flash them the engagement ring which felt so wonderfully odd in her finger, "Guys…I'm getting married!"

Brooke and Rachel let out piercing squeals and enveloped Haley in a hug. They all immediately began chattering. "You're getting married!"—"We've so got the bachelorette party covered!"—"When's the wedding?"—"We're bridesmaids, right?"—"You guys are having a baby!" Finally, they released Haley and moved on to hug Jake.

Then there was Clay who just stood there in a perplexed silence. "Fuckin' hell," grinned Clay. All eyes turned to glare at him, and he rolled his eyes, "I mean it in a _good _way." he said, half-hugging Haley and shaking Jake's hand with his free hand. "This is…big. So, you know, congratulations and…I'm available if you need a groomsmen—I have my own tux and everything."

Jake smiled, "Thanks…I might take you up on that."

After all the congratulations were exchanged, Brooke subtly extracted everybody from the apartment, "Hey, um, we're gonna go grab some grub or something. Leave you two alone to talk and celebrate and…_stuff_." She said, "C'mon, lets go, guys."

The apartment door closed behind them. "So," said Clay as he zipped up his coat, "Where to? Al's?"

Rachel shrugged, "I'm game."

"No." said Brooke unexpectedly, "Um, we don't need to go drink the bar dry to celebrate. Let's just…go to Mickie D's and get something to eat. I'm starving."

Clay and Rachel exchanged looks. "A'ight, Clean Teen. Lets go eat, then." He said mockingly.

-xx-

They all sat in a booth near the window downing their burgers and fries. It was weird for them to go to Mickie D's—they usually ate at the dinner or at Al's or whatever Haley was cooking that day.

"Dude, I still can't believe Haley's the one who's knocked-up." said Clay, "I mean, its good 'cause Jake and Hales can handle this, but…she's, like, the über-responsible one, y'know?"

Brooke arched her eyebrow, "Yeah, well, Jake took it much better than she did. Hales was in total panic mode when she first found out."

"She shouldn't be." Said Rachel, sipping her rum-free Coke, "Unlike the rest of us, that baby is gonna have two pretty great parents."

Clay grinned, "I'll drink to that." he said, clinking their paper cups together and laughing. This was weird and kind of surreal, but they'd always attempted to be glass-half-full kind of people and if Jake and Haley were having a kid and planning a wedding, they'd help and celebrate with them.

Brooke and Rachel, and Brooke and Clay had gotten this far by sticking together through everything. "Hmm," Clay hummed, munching on a fry, "Does that mean you two are moving out?" Rachel and Brooke exchanged looks, "I mean, they're getting married and having a baby, and I think those are supposed to take up a lot of space, so…what does that mean for you two?"

"Huh…" Rachel furrowed her brow pensively, "I hadn't really thought about it. Hey, what _are_ we going to do?" she asked turning to Brooke.

The brunette shrugged, "I dunno. I haven't even thought 'bout where we're sleeping tonight. Ugh, dude, are we really gonna have to move out? 'Cause that's so _not_ something I thought about."

Clay grinned, "Chillax. You guys can take my room for the night."

"Yeah, I don't think that's such a good idea for me…" muttered Brooke, looking down at her hands.

Rachel bit her lip, "Yeah, I second that."

"Relax. Tonight's the Big/Lil' Camp Out Dare Night." said Clay, "I'm taking Lil' Bro Wilke and Nate's taking Lil' Bro Piz. Big O's even taking Riggy—the whole house should be pretty empty, actually. We're out for the night so you guys will have the room to yourselves. If only for tonight, it'll do."

Rachel and Brooke smiled, "Thanks, C." they said in their usual, angelic-sounding chorus.

"Anything for my girls," replied Clay with a wink, as he checked his watch, "And I gotta go. But I trust you remember how to get to the Sigma Chi house."

-xx-

**Monday  
Sigma Chi House**

The walk over to the house was awkward without Clay (and it was even weirder 'cause Brooke and Rachel had never had these sort of awkward moments before). They opted to go in through the window—they were so _not_ in the mood to bump into anyone.

"Thank god they're too lazy to check their window." Muttered Rachel as she jimmied it open and climbed in.

Brooke groaned, stubbing her toe against the corner of the desk, "Mother_fuck_," she mumbled under her breath, then she raised her eyes to Rachel, "At least there's that."

But then they just stood there in the middle of the room wondering exactly which one of them would be taking Nate's bed for the night. Normally it'd be Rachel—that had always been the arrangement, Rae in Nate's bed and Brooke in Clay's. But the room was tainted now.

"You know what, I'm, uh, I'm gonna take Tim's bed for the night." said Rachel, raising a thumb towards the door. "See ya in the morning."

Brooke hung her head, "Oh, come on, Rae," she whined, "I'm trying here. I already apologized and I meant it. Luke's not gonna forgive me and I can't really handle you going all passive-aggressive on me right now, too."

"Jeez, you know what, I can barely recognize you right now!" Rachel whipped around, "What the fuck happened to you? 'Cause the Brooke Davis I remember wasn't this little punk full of self-destructive tendencies. You used to be so much better than this, you used to be above this kind of crap," she yelled, "But ever since winter break it's all you've been doing. You used to own up to your mistakes and take whatever came as a consequence and not a punishment—"

"—And what the fuck have I been trying to do lately?" cut in Brooke, "I know I've fucked up in too many ways to count lately. What do you want, some big explanation? A reason? I don't know why, but I am owning up to it and I am taking whatever consequences come my way. What more do you want from me?"

Rachel shook her head slightly, "Have you even _apologized _to Luke yet?"

Brooke licked her lips, averting the redhead's eyes, "I froze, okay? Luke's kinda scary when he's throwing shit around. And don't even _try_ to act like you know what Luke and me are like." She said, "I was…I thought I'd stop by tomorrow once he's a little bit more mellow about it and apologize…"

"Start there, then," said Rachel, turning towards the door.

"Will you stop already? Quit making it about something else," demanded the brunette, "You're mad at me 'cause I also crossed a line with _you—_'cause I slept with your best-friend-with-benefits or whatever it is you two call each other. I stepped on your territory. And that's never been an issue with us before. We've never even gone anywhere _near_ that line. But you know I'd never set out to hurt _you_. You're my best friend, Rae. And I am so, so sorry."

"It's fine," the brunette opened her mouth to protest, but Rachel halted her, "I mean, I'm mad, but…it's not about you. Nate and I, he's...I don't know, the Clay to my Brooke or whatever. He's my best friend. But we're fine, B. And I _know_," Brooke flashed her a questioning look, "I know you wouldn't set out to hurt me." Rachel clarified with a small smile. "Hoes over bros for life." she said, extending a fist for her to bump.

Brooke smiled back and bumped knuckles with her, "There is a land called Passive-Aggressive, and you are their Queen."

"Ugh," Rachel furrowed her nose, "Thanks for that, B. My father used to say that about my mother."

Brooke shook her head and pulled her best friend into a hug, "Well, maybe you and your mother are more alike than you think—I actually kind of like Addison."

The redhead let out a scoff, "Don't even joke about it. Or shall we discuss any similarities you may have with Bitch-toria?"

"Shut _up_. Go to bed. We have early practice tomorrow." They exchanged a final grin and went crashed. They weren't exactly back to normal yet, but they were getting there. At least it was a step.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Cheer practice had run on longer than expected. Much to everyone's relief, Theresa didn't bother to show up. It wasn't bad, but there was certainly a palpable awkward vibe. Haley, Rachel and Brooke had all headed off into different directions. Haley was giving a tutoring session that afternoon, Rachel still had last night's clothes over at the Sigma Chi house, and Brooke was going to see Luke again.

This time around, his bedroom window was open and he was strewn across his bed, absentmindedly reading a Tom Wolfe book, headphones placed securely in his ears, and iPod turned on to full volume. (She could hear a Ramones' song blaring through them.)

Brooke walked over to the bed and stood in front of him. Luke was startled when he finally noticed her, but only for a second—his face remained as stoic as ever. "Hey."

His silence was almost deafening. It was worse than when he yelled. "Look, I'm…I never told you I was sorry. I never apologized for what happened. I just froze. And then…well, you know I have a pretty tightly wound bolt reflex. But my point is that I never apologized. So, I'm here apologizing. I am so truly sorry because you didn't deserve that. And because it really _was_ a mistake. And I'd take it back if I could. Look, you haven't said _anything_. Do you want to talk about it?"

Luke sneered, "Well, when I want to talk about it, I'll send up a fuckin' smoke signal. Now, get the fuck outta here. Okay, I don't _care_ if you're sorry, I…I don't want to hear it. So. Go. GET OUT. This –whatever this was, it's done now." He shook his head, "I am so frigging _done_."

"Luke—"

The blonde shook his head, "_No_. You can't change this, Brooke. There's no going back. We're finally done. So, leave. NOW." Brooke turned and headed for the window, "And I'm bolting that damn thing shut." He added as an afterthought.

Brooke hung her head and sighed. It felt like he was bolting her out of his life. What stung even more was the fact that she figured she deserved it.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Sigma Chi House**

Rachel walked over to the Sigma Chi house. Most of the guys were still out at the camp out. But much to her surprise, Nate Scott was right there in the front yard tinkering with his Harley. He _did_ make a pretty hot grease-monkey.

"Your motorcycle." Rachel grinned as he walked over to him, hands tucked in jeans' her back pockets. "Whoa, I haven't seen that in months."

Nate flashed her a surprised smirk, "Yeah, well, fender's still bent from when you crashed into the Lambda Chi's fence. It was about time I got 'round to fixing it, don't you think?"

"Oh, no!" Rachel laughed, covering her face with her hands. "That was my first time riding, remember?"

Nate nodded with a smile, "Yeah, I remember." He said, "Look, Rae, I'm sorry. That night—"

"It's not—"

"—don't say it doesn't matter. It does matter to you—I know you, Red. Look, it was a mistake. It was…we were drunk and I wasn't thinking." Nate licked his lips, "I just don't things to change between us."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Well, it kind of does. You slept with my best friend, Nate."

"And you slept with mine," Nate knew bringing up Clay was hitting below the belt, but they'd never been exclusive, they'd never dated. Among all its complexities, their relationship was usually rather simple. When they stopped fucking, it was understood that they were still best friends—minus benefits. "It's just…I don't know, it's who we are. What's the difference?"

"The difference is I didn't love Clay." Stated Rachel so matter-of-factly it almost came out icy.

Nate raised an eyebrow, "And I didn't love Brooke—she's my friend. I mean, I_ did_ once. But I don't anymore. That's _over_. And at the party I was so blitzed it seemed like there was something more, but all it was is one huge mess." He said, "She's my brother's ex-girlfriend, _he_ loves her."

"Yeah." Rachel nodded, "Add that to the list of reasons why it was so disturbing."

"And I already admitted to that. Look, we weren't together—I'm sorry, but we weren't. You said it wasn't the same 'cause you didn't love Clay. And, what, you _do_ love me?"

Rachel shrieked, "NO!" she shook her head, "I'm just saying—"

"—what are you just saying?" Nate cut her off.

The redhead glared, "It was just sex. It didn't mean anything." She said seriously, "You and Brooke…it's different than that."

"Yeah." Nate agreed, "In the sense that we were both so wasted that I could barely remember what happened. So, what do you want me to do here, huh, Rae?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Beats the mother-fuck outta me, Nate."

She turned to walk away, but Nate grabbed her arm, "Look, Rae, I'm…I'm sorry. Please don't go. You're my best friend. Just…don't walk away. I know that it's messed up, okay? On so many levels: with you, with Luke—who I'm still waiting to just show up and start beating the ever living shit outta me—with Brooke 'cause we can't even look each other in the eye right now. But I'm sorry, Red. I'm so sorry. So please, don't go."

"I know you are." Rachel said, then sighed, "Hales is pregnant. She and Jake are getting married." She added, just to say something else—this had been it, they weren't really gonna talk about it anymore.

Nate smiled, "Holy shit, that's good, right? I mean, the knocked-up part is kinda scary, but the getting married part, it's good."

"I think it's all good. I've never been around babies before so that's gonna be pretty interesting. And Brooke's actually really into weddings so she and Haley are gonna start all the planning soon." Said Rachel with a shrug, "All in all, they're handling it pretty well."

Nate raised an eyebrow, "Sounds like they're handling it frigging awesome. If it were me…man, I'd be so fucked up over it." Rachel only nodded in agreement, "Uh, hey, how 'bout we go to Al's—we can grab a bite and you can finish filling me in on the whole wedding and a baby thing. Yeah?" he smirked, dangling the bike's keys in front of her.

Rachel stared into his ocean-blue eyes for a second, "Yeah. Okay." She said, relenting to his smirk.

After all, what was the point of anything if you couldn't talk it over with your best friend?

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Haley had just gotten out of class and she rushed over to the Phi Delta house. She'd told Jake she wanted to be the one who told Luke about the baby and the engagement. (Just that with all the surprise and the nerves and then, later on, the excitement, she hadn't quite gotten around to it.) Plus, she wanted to see how he was doing with everything—he couldn't have taken the whole Brooke/Nate thing well.

She walked into the bedroom without knocking and saw Luke banging the window. "Sonuvabitch!" he grunted after hitting his thumb, "Fuck."

"Easy, Bob Vila," grinned Haley as she plopped herself down on the bed, "What're you doing?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "Funny, Chuckles," he said, tossing the hammer back into a drawer, "I was just…putting a bolt on the window. It doesn't wiggle open anymore."

"Looks like it doesn't open period." Haley said, leaning forward to get a closer look at the window, "You do realize once the summer heat wave starts settling in you're gonna bake in here, right?"

The brooding blonde shrugged a shoulder and plopped himself down next to her, "Hadn't really thought about it," he said, "Just needed to get the damn thing sealed off."

"Okay," started Haley, cuddling up to him, "You know how sometimes it's about you and then sometimes it's about me? Well, I know you're upset, and I actually came here to talk about it, but first I need to tell you something pretty big about me. And then it's the Luke Show all the way, all right?"

Luke resisted the urge to laugh at the explanation, "All right."

"Well, um, I have two pretty big news," said Haley, biting her lower lip, "First off, Jake and I are engaged. We're getting married." She said, flashing him her left hand with the engagement ring.

Luke grinned, pulling her into a hug, "Oh my god! Hales, that is awesome!" he declared excitedly, "Congratulations! I'm the best man, right?"

"Yes." Haley smiled, "Though I'm sure Jake will ask you officially later, I just wanted to be the first one to tell you. And…there's more."

"Well, c'mon, I doubt you can top the wedding news."

Haley bit her lower lip once more, "I'm pregnant."

Luke's jaw dropped instantly, "And obviously I was wrong." He muttered, "Double congratulations!" he said, pulling her into another hug.

"Good." Haley smiled, "So that was me-time, now it's Luke-time. I know about Brooke and Nate. She told me she told you everything. I've been a pretty MIA BFF lately, but I'm here now and we can talk about it."

Luke shrugged it off, "I don't need to talk, Hales. It was all just a bunch of crap anyway."

"Don't." said Haley seriously, "Don't do that. You felt something. So did she. Don't try to take it back now. And don't hide from me. I know you gotta be feeling something "

"That's just it, Hales," said Luke, "I don't feel anything anymore. I just don't give a fuck."

Haley sighed. She knew him well enough to know that this whole tough-guy thing was an act—the Luke Scott she knew had to be, at the very least, severely pissed off. Plus, he was bolting what she'd come to know as Brooke's Window shut. That was definitely a sign of aggression. "Are you really gonna do this, Luke?"

"Do what?" he sneered, "All I gotta do is train and focus. March Madness starts soon and I plan on winning that championship. That's all I wanna do, Hales."

-xx-

**Friday  
Brooke, Rachel & Haley's Apartment**

Thanks to some unnamed miracle, class had been cancelled and the gang was just relaxing and downing take-out at the apartment all the while absentmindedly glancing at Haley's baby books.

"So, names," proclaimed Brooke with a smile, "Lets see what we got here. Alison, Angela," She read aloud as she began flipping through one of the books, "Brennan…"

Rachel smirked, "Personally, I think naming your kid Rachel would be a very wise choice." Haley and Jake shot her a no-way-in-hell look, "No? All right. Hmm, Camille." Read Rachel picking up another book, "I like that one."

"Well, I like boy's names for girls: Dylan, Cameron, Danni, Spencer, Cooper, Taylor, Chris." Piped in Clay as he skimmed a comic book, "It's sexy."

Haley rolled her eyes, "Yes. Naming my child something you find sexy is a huge part of the name-picking criteria, Clay." She said sarcastically, "Nonetheless, some of those aren't so bad. I like Spencer."

"No need to be so unappreciative, MILF." Said Clay, "I'm just tryin' to help."

Jake saw the death glare Haley directed at the male brunette (like she was about to pounce on him if he called her that just one more time). "Moving on," he said, "Okay. What about Edward?"

Haley scrunched up her nose, "Too _Twilight_, hon."

Brooke laughed, "Then can we assume Emmett and Jasper are out too?"

"Yes," replied Haley, laughing, too. "Come on, we've got girl names and gender-neutral names, courtesy of Clay. We need more boy names. Something like…Russell! Ryan?"

Rachel smiled, "Ooh! How about Silver?"

"Silver Jaglieski." Repeated Clay with a smirk, "Why, yes. That _is_ a name that will get your child beaten up in the playground. How 'bout Carter?"

Brooke shook her head, "Veto, Clay—'cause Silver's the dude who kicks _Carter_'s ass. Ooh, Kal with a K. I like Kale."

"Hey! I actually like that one." Beamed Jake.

Everyone burst out laughing, and Haley shook her head, "'Kay, how 'bout we save the name-picking for later—thanks for all the suggestions, though," she said, sitting on Jake's lap, "And thanks for all the extra baby names books."

"Are you kidding, Hales?" asked Brooke, "No thanks necessary. Your kid will be gorgeous and severely spoiled by all his or her aunts and uncles."

"Yeah, I already bought it a onesie yesterday," declared Rachel, popping a peanut m&m into her mouth, "It has this guitar and says: '_my parents ROCK_'. It just _screamed_ Jaley Baby!"

-xx-

**Thursday  
West Campus  
Duke University**

It had now been almost a month since news about Brooke and Nate, and the Jaley baby and wedding had spread throughout campus like wildfire. In an interesting twist of events: Rachel had moved into the Phi Delta Theta house, taking Jake's old bed and becoming Alexander's new roommate.

Jake moved out of the Phi Delta house and into what was now his and Haley's apartment. They'd been getting the nursery set up (what used to be Brooke's room), and the plans for the wedding had been going slowly, but surely.

Meanwhile, Brooke hadn't been putting too much effort into getting herself a permanent address—she'd been bouncing around from couch to couch, even sleeping in Peyton Scott's dorm for a few days.

Brooke sat at one of the few empty tables, highlighter in her mouth as she read over _To Kill A Mockingbird _and scribbled down notes with her free hand.

"Coffee." Announced Clay, placing the paper-cup in front of her. He scrunched up his nose, "Dude, why are we here? This is the commons. In two years, we've not once met up here. So, what gives?"

Brooke sighed, closing her book, "I'm…I don't know, having conflicting emotions, and trying to feel my feelings out in the open. I've…stopped fucking around. I'm over that."

"That…" Clay frowned confused, "sounds like a bunch of psycho-babble bullshit."

"Well, that's 'cause it is." Brooke groaned, leaning back into her chair, "I've got it from a psych major. But that's not the point. I'm…growing up or whatever. I'm actually studying and going to all of my classes and being responsible… And we're here precisely because we never hang out here. It guarantees that I won't have to bump into anyone."

Clay snorted, "Yeah, dude, you've also been, like, celibate lately." He said, "I'm actually a little concerned." Brooke rolled her eyes and went back to her book. "So, have you seen today's school paper?" Clay changed the subject, throwing his messenger bag on an empty chair and sitting opposite from her.

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "We _have_ a school paper?" It was sarcasm. Of course she'd seen it. It was everywhere.

'_The Blue Devils are the dominant force in these playoffs_.' Read the headline in big bold letters. Clay smirked, "The Scott Brothers are on a roll." He read aloud, "Y'know both their game's improved massively. Their scoring averages are through the roof. And look, there's a whole spread on your boyfriend. Check this out: '_his feet did not touch the ground when he played. In moments, he was flying_.' That right there, that's fucking poetic for a basketball game."

Brooke snatched the paper away from Clay, "He's not my boyfriend anymore. He's not even speaking to me." she commented, looking at the close-up picture of him from last night's game. The quote below read: 'Long range from Lucas Scott'. It was like he was haunting her—his face was everywhere: practice, games, class, campus.

Luke Scott had become unavoidable.

And Brooke Davis had become invisible. (At least as far as Luke was concerned.)

Brooke sighed, "The Blue Devils coast to another easy win…" she said unenthused, "Yay."

Clay glanced at the duffel bag by her feet, "What's with the carry-on?"

"I moved out of Bevin's couch. Thinking about crashing with Lindsay tonight. Her place is usually empty now that she sleeps at Owen's room 24/7, anyways." Replied Brooke, who was back to reading her novel.

"That's another thing—why are you moving around from house to house like a little nomadic camel?" asked Clay, "You should get your own place. Maybe that'll get Freckles outta enemy territory. You two love being roomies!"

Brooke shrugged, "There's, like, two and a half months left in the semester. All the places near campus are taken, and I'll be outta here pretty soon, so what's the point?"

"The point is you have a car and you can afford to move into any apartment you want. Just put it on daddy's little black AmEx. He won't notice." He quipped, then sighed, "Look, Dimples, you fucked up. And you've been punishing yourself for it ever since. You and Nate barely talk, you don't go over to the house anymore…" Clay let his voice trail off, "Point is, I miss my best friend. The confident, gorgeous girl who backed down from nothing and no one. Maybe its time to let her out again." he said with a wink, "I gotta go, I've got and IFC meeting, but I'll see you later, okay."

Brooke only responded with a "Bye, Clay."

Clay Evans never thought he'd say this, but fuck…why did Luke and Brooke had to break up? Things were so much better when they were together.


	27. Have You Finally Forgiven Me?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So, between sleep depravation and major writer's block, this chapter took forever and it feels sucky. Major thanks to all my kickass reviewers. Thanks to everyone who PM'd me. I'll reply those soon (hopefully). Anyway, I am beyond sorry for the delay because I know it was a HUGE douche move and I won't keep you guys waiting that long again. I'll do my best to get the next one up faster. Read on, dudes. Tell me whatcha think…**

**Also, I don't own either Paramore, Brandon Flowers or the Perishers (but wouldn't it be cool if I did?)**

_**The Rules Of Attraction  
**__  
__have you finally forgiven me?_

-xx-

**Thursday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Brooke was in her old room, rummaging through the drawers and the closet –though she wasn't living there anymore, the stuff that was too big to haul around with her everywhere stayed behind. "Hales," she called out, her tone slightly whiny, "C'mon, I need my other bag. I can't find it anywhere. And I also can't find the other top of my cheer outfit."

Haley popped her head in, "Maybe that's 'cause you've been jumping from place to place. Stuff tends to get left behind."

"Okay, _Mom_, spare me the lecture and just…help me out." Replied Brooke, "_Please_." She pouted.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Fine. I give," she surrendered, "Y'know, Brooke, I'd honestly prefer to have you living here till the semester ended than to have you roaming around like some sort of homeless person, okay? You think we're all being paranoid–"

"–oh, c'mon, who's '_we_'?" cut off the brunette with an eye-roll.

"Do _not_ play dumb with me, Brooke Davis." Said Haley sternly, "You know who 'we' is –it's me, and Clay and Rachel and Jake and…and your friends, the people who give a rat's ass about you. And you think we're all just being stupid for worrying, but what you're doing is _so_ not healthy. You need a place to stay. On a semi-permanent level, not just for the week or until you can find another couch to crash in."

Brooke sighed, "Look, Hales, I get where you're coming from. And thanks for worrying, but…look, I can't go stay at the Phi Delt house like Rae, I don't wanna go to Sigma Chi, I'm not gonna third-wheel it with you and Jay, and…for right now, I don't want a new place. I just…I don't." she said, shrugging a shoulder, "Now, can you _please_ help me find my stuff."

Haley caved –because when it came to the tiny brunette she usually caved– and fifteen minutes later, she'd found everything Brooke was looking for. "And here are the sketches for that design class you're taking this semester. I think those are all of them…" she muttered as she rummaged through one of the desk's drawers. "Hey," she exclaimed surprised, "I didn't know you'd read this! Did you like it? I thought it was _really_ good –I mean, it won that competition a few months back– but he still says it's crap."

"What're you talking 'bout, Hales?" asked Brooke, furrowing her brow.

"The story. _the girl is not so easy to please_." Explained Haley, "You know Luke wrote this."

The brunette's eyes widened, "_Luke_ wrote this?" she asked, shocked, snatching the papers away from her hands, "Crap. _He_ was my anonymous Valentine's?"

"Uh, what anonymous Valentine's?" asked a confused Haley.

Brooke frantically turned the pages, her eyes skimming over the story. She still remembered it pretty well. The girl in it was kind of mean, though at a first read Luke had managed to make her seem almost poetically broken, and she does manage to redeem herself at the end. The brunette's eyes widened again. "_Fuck_." She muttered, "It's supposed to be me. The girl, _Kris_, it's supposed to be me."

"Seriously?" Haley raised an eyebrow, grabbing the story and eyeing it. "Huh…" she declared after a beat, "Well, that's kinda poetic, actually."

Brooke rubbed her eyes and groaned, "Ugh…fuck…I gotta go," she said, placing the story back in the drawer, "I'm gonna be late. See ya later, though," she said, pecking Haley's cheek goodbye, "We need to finish up some details about the wedding." She rushed out of the room.

Haley pinched the bridge of her nose and followed her out into the living room. "Yes, Brooke, about that," she started, "I know you want the wedding to be awesome, but we're on a serious budget. We still don't have all the stuff we need for when the baby comes. And, well, I gotta keep my grades up if I want to keep my academic scholarship. Jake's gotta keep playing basketball to keep his, and even so, his is only a partial scholarship. Plus with all the extra practice he's had to cut back his hours at work."

"Yeah, no, I know all of that, Hales. Okay, trust me. I got it all covered." Said Brooke with an encouraging smile, "Al is renting out the whole bar for free as a wedding gift, so we're gonna have the reception there. Piz and Skills volunteered to DJ the whole thing –Logan's hooking us up with this, like, totally killer sound system. Chase and Owen are covering the drinks and the catering 'cause they know a guy who'll do it cheap. My Dad and Clay's Dad kinda own a couple of vineyards in, like, France so we're handling the booze. All we need is to sort out the details –you know, what music do you want, food, decorations –that sort of stuff."

Haley raised an eyebrow, "So…are you saying you've planned me a free wedding?"

"Well, not _completely_ free, but…pretty close." Brooke shrugged, "I mean, we still need the place where we're gonna have the actual wedding and we're probably gonna have to pay for that, plus the miscellaneous stuff like the decorations and the food, but we can get those pretty cheap, too. And Rae's all over the baby shower, so you'll get tons of free loot for the baby outta that. Also, um, measurements –dress design is almost done, and I need Jake's measurements, too. Everything's gotta fit right."

Haley's eyes watered up, "Oh, Tigger," she exclaimed, pulling the tiny brunette into a rib-crushing hug, "This is so sweet and you've been so, so great throughout this whole entire thing. I just…it would be so much harder if I didn't have you because I've been completely swamped lately and I haven't even had time to stop and think about how to plan all this and now here you are…the whole thing practically done!" she gushed.

"Oh, wow, okay," muttered Brooke, patting Haley's back, "Um, sweetie, kind of can't breathe right now." Haley apologized and loosened up the death grip, "And, Hales, really, don't worry about it. It's been no trouble –you know I love parties, and weddings are basically big parties. So, it's cool."

"Seriously. Thank you, Brooke."

The brunette rolled her eyes playfully. "Seriously. You're welcome, Haley." She said, "Now I'm really late. But I'll see you guys tomorrow. Big away game. Lets get out cheer on, babe."

"You know, I'm actually ready for this season to be over." Said Haley, "You have no idea how psyched I am to be on the final rounds –I mean, I know you love it and the victory parties and stuff, but I'm just ready for the extra hassle to be over, y'know?"

Brooke bit her lower lip, "Yeah," she nodded, "I know I'm normally the life of the party, but…I don't know, I guess I could use a break, too."

"Do you want to–"

"–no, Dr. Phil," cut off Brooke, "I don't want to talk about it. I will, however, see you tomorrow bright and early. We're driving down in Rachel's Denali. Now, no matter how much you want it to be over, I need you pumped up for tomorrow. 'Kay?" she winked. '_Mwah_!', she exclaimed, kissing the palm of her hand and slapping it playfully on Haley's forehead. "See ya, Hales!"

-xx-

**Friday  
On The Road**

Brooke and Rachel were cuddled up in the backseats napping for most of the first half of the drive. Jake was driving and Haley was ridding shotgun, fiddling with the radio. After a while, though, Rachel and Brooke got up and started belting out whatever was playing on the radio. Halfway there they stopped at a gas station –pee/snack break.

Jake got to the car and handed Haley the Big Gulp cup, "Here ya go, babe,"

"Thanks, hon," replied Haley, laughing, "Turkey wraps and icees –_very_ healthy."

Jake shrugged a shoulder, "Well, only the best for my girl, y'know?" he said, casually dropping a kiss on her forehead. Haley smiled and stood on her tiptoes to peck his lips.

Rachel popped up next to them and jumped on the truck's hood. "Don't forget the Cuervo silver for the rest of us." She added, pulling out a bottle and spiking her and Brooke's cups. "Want some, Jay?"

"Yeah, no, thanks, Ray." Jake chuckled, "Someone needs to be the sober driver, and the only reason Coach K. let me drive down with ya'll is because I practically signed a blood oath that I would get there on time and in one piece, ready to kill at the court."

Rachel smirked, "Doubtful we'll get there on time with all of Hales' pee breaks." She joked.

"Hey!" whined Haley, "Well, c'mon, now, ya'll had to go, too –Brooke had been whining about wanting a snack-break every five minutes."

Brooke furrowed her brow, "Now, why you gotta talk about me? I didn't say anything, Rae's the one who got all up in your face."

"Deflection," offered Rachel, "Grasshopper learns very quickly."

Haley quirked an eyebrow, "Thanks, Sensei." She joked, "C'mon, let's get back on the road or else we're really gonna be late. Hey, B, you have the motel papers, right?"

"Yes, it's all set up. Relax." Assured Brooke as they all got back in the car. She started switching radio stations, landing on one playing _Eye Of The Tiger_. "Whoa! See, that'll get us in a game mood."

Jake surrendered and turned the volume up, humming along to the lyrics. Haley took his free hand and hummed along with him. Only two more games until the Blue Devils were declared NCAA Champions.

"If you guys win the championship it's gonna be like some sort of record or something because the soccer and football team both won this year, too." Stated Rachel, "All we need is basketball and the holy trinity of Blue Devils' NCAA Champions is complete."

Jake raised an eyebrow, "Huh, I hadn't even noticed that. Seriously. They're both this year's champions?"

"Yeah, I don't know how you didn't know," said Brooke, "Clay and Dean haven't shut up about it for days."

Haley smirked, "Really? 'Cause they're both usually so humble." They all laughed.

They got to the motel pretty fast, miraculously managing to avoid most traffic, and crashed early. Lately, Haley was always tired, Jake needed to rest up for the game, and Brooke and Rae needed their beauty sleep.

-xx-

Next day, Rachel, Brooke and Haley (Jake had headed off to the gym early) grabbed breakfast at a BK across the street with Clay and Alexander (who'd driven down to catch the game).

Luke worked the ball to Skills. Skills with an alley-oop to Nate, and Nate drove it home. Blue Devils win, 75–50. _And the place goes crazy_! The crowd went wild and half the people abandoned the bleachers and stormed the court.

Brooke watched all the couples forming around the team (most of the girls on the squad were dating one of the players on the team). Jake had swept Haley up and carefully spun her around. Skills was feeling up Bevin in the middle of the court. Rachel and Nate were grinning like idiots while he tickled her sides and twirled her around playfully.

Her hazel eyes continued to scan the people who overflowed the gym (it looked like fuckin' Noah's Ark with everyone paired off, even Ashleigh had managed to make up with 'Rico, if only for the night). Then her eyes landed on Luke, most guys were bumping fists and patting his back in a congratulatory way. He looked happy and proud –he'd scored almost half of the points on the board tonight.

The brunette smiled at the sight. It felt like it'd been forever since she'd seen her favorite brooder smile.

_It was Luke's first official as a Duke Blue Devil. Coach K. had taken him off the bench and he scored forty points. (Blue Devils won 90–75.) That was the day the Scott Brothers officially became the Blue Devil's star duo. _

_Brooke and Luke hadn't really been talking much since their pub-crawl (which culminated with sex in the back of Luke's truck and a blowout argument the morning after). No, since then their relationship (though neither of them called it that) had been a purely physical thing. _

_A _thing_ they told no one about. _

_It didn't make things any less awkward that Luke's childhood best friend Haley had instantly bonded with Brooke and they were now rooming together. Or that his twin brother was palling around and pledging with Brooke's best friend Clay. _

_But playing pretend seemed to be something they both excelled at. They pretended not to know each other when Nate first introduced them. They pretended to not be able to be around each other for longer than five minutes. They pretended they weren't fucking around behind everybody's back. _

_Still, when Luke won that first game, Brooke couldn't help herself. When his teammates set Luke down, she pulled him aside behind the bleachers to celebrate. _

"_That was pretty good," Brooke muttered in between kisses, "For a freshman."_

_Luke bit her lower lip, his hands already sliding her underwear down, "Shut up," he muttered in reply, "Y'know I was amazing."_

"_Y'were great." She relented in between heavy kisses. He smirked; all he wanted was to impress her. _

_It was the first time they christened the gym together._

Tonight didn't feel much different to either of them…

(Except for the whole Luke's-pissed-and-he-and-Brooke-aren't-really-talking thing.)

"Still got that killer fadeaway!" complemented some guy as he bumped shoulders with Luke and ran off. The brooding blonde grinned and ran a hand through his hair –he should've been fucking static. The team was still carrying its undefeated streak, and they were gonna to take the championship –he should've been celebrating, but he didn't really feel like it. Everyone had someone there with them –fuck, Jake was gonna get married– and he had no one to celebrate with. Girls had never been scarce around him, but he didn't want an easy lay tonight. He'd grown bored of those. He missed the challenge.

(Especially the challenge that came in the form of an incredibly gorgeous and willful, tiny brunette, though he wasn't quite ready to admit to that.)

"Congratulations, Luke." Luke turned around ready to smile and take his props, but was startled by the sight. "Played a killer game, definitely made my job easier. Y'know it sucks to cheer for a loser team." Brooke Davis stood there, her unbelievable dimpled smile firmly in place.

Luke cleared his throat, "Yeah, uh…didn't think you'd be here." He said, "Didn't see you on the bus with the rest of the squad."

"Haley wanted to drive and Jake was tagging along and then they borrowed Rae's car so she was going with them, and I figured, what hell, I'll tag along, too." Explained Brooke with a shrug, "'Sides, c'mon, Broody, y'know I never miss a game." She said, lightly punching his shoulder.

Luke let himself smile at the sound of the familiar nickname rolling off her tongue. It felt like it'd been forever since he'd heard it (and it kind of was). And then Skills appeared, "Coach K. wanna meet up in the locker room, dawg. Get to steppin', man. I ain't missing my bus ride back home, ya hear." He said, then turned to Brooke, "Whassup, shorty," he greeted with a grin, "Longtime no see, baby girl. How you been?"

"Been good, Skills," Brooke smiled, "You played a great game tonight."

Skills smirked, "Y'know how we do, ma," he boasted, "Phi Delta getting' boring without ya. Nobody burns breakfast waffles like B. Davis." He chuckled.

"Yeah, I miss you guys, too."

Skills winked at her playfully, "Back at ya, baby girl." Then, grabbing Luke's jersey and tugging him away, "Yo, see ya back at Duke, B!"

"Luke!" called out the brunette before he disappeared into the locker room. He turned around, blue eyes meeting hazel eyes, "I'll see you back home, 'kay?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah," he said, "I'll see ya back home, Brooke."

It was weird, for months he'd been going through a sort of closeted rage about what had happened between Brooke and Nate. He'd been so pissed off and he'd done nothing to deal –he'd played, he'd cut Brooke out of his life, his relationship with Nate had more or less adapted to function. They didn't get along like before, but they weren't at each other's throats anymore, either –they were polite and interacted with each other when the occasion called for it. Nate had tried to talk to him and apologize, but Luke hadn't been in the mood for it.

"_Look, man, we're brothers, nothing changes that fact. But we don't need to do this. I don't want –don't _need_– an apology from you. All I need is for you to keep knocking down the shots, doin' your job. That's all." _

And it was nice to just not be angry with anyone if it was only for a second over some meaningless chitchat. If nothing else, Brooke Davis always had a way of making him smile.

(Fuck. He actually kind of missed her… _Fuck_.)

-xx-

Outside, Rachel continued to jump on Nate in an attempt to put him in a headlock as they made their way back to the car. Nate had agreed to ride back down with them and they were still getting off in a post-victory high.

"Oh…" said the redhead when they spotted Brooke sitting on the hood of the car and downing an grape flavored slushee. "Look, I'm pumped tonight. I'm lovin' life. And I love you guys, too. So, could you please talk it out and not fight or anything? Because that makes it kind of awkward for me. Right," she pointed to Brooke's slushee, "I'm gonna go grab myself one of those, and you two are gonna make up 'cause Nate's riding back with us."

Nate smirked, "She's the queen of subtlety." He said, settling his hands into his jeans' pockets. It'd been a while since it had just been him and Brooke –they'd both been avoiding the post-sex talk like the plague. Once it was done it was official, things wouldn't be the same between them anymore. (Not that things had been any better lately, but still, there was the _possibility_ of normalcy as long as they avoided the issue and each other.)

"Yeah, you know Rae." Replied Brooke, "She does have a point, though. Look, I just…I guess I'm sorry for bolting like that on the morning after. Mostly I'm sorry I let it get as far as it did. But I was so blitzed and so scared that suddenly it seemed so right –you and me, Natie & Brookie. Then again, anyone would've probably seemed right, y'know?"

Nate sighed, "Well, it's not _all_ your fault, B. I mean, for such a long time I was so into you and I wanted us to start something. But then you and Luke started something and…I don't know, I got over it. I didn't think we'd ever happen. And I was so drunk off my ass that night that it seemed like something more than a hook-up."

"I guess we both fucked up…"

The raven-haired Scott flashed her a half-smirk, "Well, we always did fuck up in pairs," he joked, "We're cool now, right? Well, not _cool_-cool, but we're getting there, right? We'll be Brookie and Natie again, just…different."

"Definitely." Brooke smiled and pulled Nate into a hug, she'd forgotten how tiny she felt whenever she hugged him. "I've kinda missed this, Natie."

"Ah, kid, you have no idea," replied Nate, lifting her up a little.

Rachel smirked at the sight, slushee straw in her mouth, "Aw, isn't this right off a cheap Lifetime movie storyline." She mocked, "Lets go, Jay and Hales are back. And, ooh! Dean just texted me that Al's is starting up open mike night tomorrow –score!"

The redhead high-fived both brunettes as they made their way back to the car in a fit of laughter, humming the tunes they were planning to sing tomorrow night. Haley and Jake welcomed having Nate along –he'd keep Rachel and Brooke occupied, and they hadn't really hung out with him since the whole thing with and Brooke had gone down. (Almost as if by default, Jake and Haley were _always_ on Team Luke. It'd been like that since they were five-years-old.)

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

The Phi Delta Theta House was always buzzing with activity –their guys were athletes and brains, and they refused to just lie around drinking beer and doing nothing like the guys at Sigma Chi did. It was certainly an adjustment, but Rachel had gotten used to it. Logan enjoyed having a hot redhead around (as did every other guy), and their bathroom always had hot water, and though Alexander still hated it when Rachel stole his clothes and used them as pajamas, the new living arrangement was working just fine. That afternoon, most guys in the house were outback playing a touch football game. Luke, however, remained in his room listening to his iPod and catching up on some Zs.

Rachel knocked on his doorframe, "Measurements," she said, nodding towards her room, "Up and at 'em. C'mon. I promised I'd take these over to Haley's today. We're running late with the preparations."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Oh, Gatina, it's been so awesome living with you for these past few months."

"You know you love me." replied Rachel with a wink as she measured his arm-lenght. She scribbled down the final numbers on a little notepad, she said, "And we're done. See, this was completely painless."

"I guess," Luke shrugged, "It's still weird that you're living here. Jay's gone –I mean, he moved because he knocked my best friend up. And now we're all getting new tuxes and dresses and shit because they're getting married soon."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "All that stuff's good, you know?"

"I do." Luke nodded, "But it's, like, _fuck_…we're definitely grown up now. No turning back, you know."

"Okay…thanks for seriously bringing me down, Other Scott." Retorted Rachel, "What's got you in such a cheery mood?"

The Brooder rolled his eyes, "How 'bout I make you a deal –I start calling you Rachel and you stop calling Other Scott. That cool?"

"Deal." Complied Rachel, high-fiving him playfully. "Hey, since we're all into the bonding thing right now, how 'bout you give me a ride?"

"Sure."

"And, uh, also, carry a few garments bags and books to the car." Rachel asked, biting her lower lip hopefully.

Luke shook his head, smirking, "Wow. Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." He joked, "Hand it over."

"Microbiology. O-Chem. Anatomy & Physiology." Read Luke aloud from the pile of abnormally heavy books she'd handed him. "Aren't you Pre-Law?"

Rachel shrugged, "Thinking about switching to Pre-Med."

"I didn't know you were into science and stuff."

"Well, I'm not, but I'm good at it." replied Rachel, "And it's kind of the family business, so…why not?"

Luke furrowed his brow, "Okay, how is being a doctor the family business?"

"My dad's a neurosurgeon. My mother is a neonatal surgeon, double board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Maternal & Fetal Medicine, plus a fellowship in genetics. My aunts and uncles are doctors…basically the whole genetic pool is wired for medicine. One of the reasons I started off as Pre-Law was because it'd piss my parents off –it's not like they even noticed, but still."

"You don't have to go into the family business, y'know?" Luke shrugged a shoulder, "My Dad's pretty heavy into politics, but I'm not gonna follow those footsteps… Neither are Nate and Peyton for that matter."

Rachel smirked, "Does your family have a black sheep?"

"Yeah. Me, I think… Or Nate –I don't know, we're both fuck-ups in my Dad's eyes." Luke said offhand.

"Well, the black sheep in my family is my Aunt Amy –she's a neurosurgeon and she graduated top of her class at Harvard. So, even the bar for being the fuck-up is set pretty high in my family." explained Rachel, "I'm not like Brooke and Clay. They're going to inherit their fathers' Fortune 500 companies. They'll get their trust funds when they turn twenty-five and be free to do whatever. My trust fund comes with a shitload of strings and responsibilities attached to it."

Luke's navy-blue eyes widened, "Wait, back it up a beat –Brooke and Clay have trust funds? Are you shitting me?"

"Dude, _here_ they're Brooke and Clay. Back home, they're Brooklyn Davis and Clayton Evans –heirs to Davis International and Evans Publishing." Explained Rachel, "Don't tell them I told. But this is who they were for a long time. It's who I was, too. And I guess it's who we still are because there's no running from that."

Luke scoffed in disbelief, mouth agape, "I…how did I not know this? I mean, I get why I wouldn't know about Clay, but…Brooke was with me for over a year."

"Well, they're every rich-kid cliché you see in TV. They don't really talk about it 'cause they think Daddy's money will change the way people treat them." explained Rachel only somewhat mockingly, "And they're half-right, I suppose. Welcome to the dark side, Luke."

The Brooder shook his head, scoffing, "Just another thing to the long list of shit Brooke Davis never told me. _Awesome_."

"Hey," Rachel grabbed his arm and spun him around, "Look, I get that you have all these issues over what happened between you and Brooke and how fucked up it all was. But you _do_ know her –you know she's laughs like three-year-old over the stupidest things, that she hates wearing her reading glasses, and that even though she mocks it she actually really likes cuddling. That pie is her miracle, after-sex, best-hangover-snack food, that she's a pool shark _and_ a poker shark, that she has that weird thing for heat lightning, that summer's her favorite season, but nothing cheers her up like Christmastime. I've never seen her open up to a guy like she did with you –you probably scared the shit out of her 'cause she's kind of a commitment-phobe. But you already knew that. And now you know this, too. When it comes to knowing Brooke, there's a pretty steep learning curve."

"You're not fuckin' kiddin'."

"Y'know," the redhead chuckled, "I never really got what Brooke saw in you. I mean, I know why she fucked you –you're definitely her type: you've got the sullen-brooding thing which makes you seem badass instead of just an ass, and the Mohawk which made you seem like a bad-boy rebel." She listed off, "But I never got why she actually went through the trouble of _dating_ you. I see it now, though…kind of. You see her beyond all the crap everyone else notices."

Luke's nostrils flared, "Yeah, well, it feels like I never knew her at all. What she did...I don't–I can't look past it. Maybe we were both just trying too fucking hard on something that was never meant to work. Like putting a square through a circle."

"You're such a realist," Rachel accused, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Life's a fact –people mess up. We're all fallible…" said Rachel, "And Brooke made a mistake –we _all_ make mistakes. I don't know, I just…I've learned that at some point you got let people off the hook. Time goes by, and everything drops away. All the hurt, all the anger, all the pain. It all washes away. Then you just…miss everyone."

Luke looked at her strangely –suddenly it was like Rachel had two heads. "I always thought you were much shallower than this."

"Well, I always thought you were a dipshit moron." Rachel shrugged, "But you know what happens when you assume. Hey! –you should come to Al's tonight. It's open-mic night and it'll be fun."

Luke chuckled, "I'm not much of a singer."

"Neither am I, but that's never stopped me before. Besides," Rachel shrugged, "Brooke will be there. Now c'mon, I gotta get to Hales'."

Luke smiled, shaking his head. Maybe he would check out Al's tonight.

-xx-

**Sunday****  
****Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Rachel walked into the cluttered apartment unannounced, "Okay, I got the measurements." she said, throwing her purse on the kitchen counter.

Jake was standing on the coffee table, arms extended at his side while Brooke placed some pins in his wedding tux. "Ouch!" he winced when the brunette accidentally stuck him.

"Stay still!" scolded the Brooke. "I need to get this done today. And Rae, I need you to try on your dress so I can check that the final adjustments are right."

"On it." said Rachel as she grabbed a garment bag and moved to stand behind Jake so he couldn't see her change. "What's left to finish? I can help. I do recall how follow a sewing pattern."

"Not that much left, actually," replied Brooke, "Hales' dress is done, so are mine, yours, Linds and Peyton's. I need to adjust Jake and Luke's tuxes, but that oughta be pretty easy." she raised her eyes to meet Jake's, "Who're the other groomsmen?"

Jake raised an eyebrow, "Um...I need more than one?"

Rachel laughed, "Dude," she said, "seriously. Haley has four bridesmaids. The number of groomsmen needs to match. Otherwise it'll look uneven…and like you don't have any guy friends –like that movie _I Love You, Man_."

"Well, no one told me!" protested Jake, only to be stuck again. "Ow! Dammit, B!"

Brooke grinned, "Sorry." she apologized, "And it's common sense, Jay. Just...get a few guys from Phi Delta to fill in. Isn't that what your frat bros are for?"

"Yeah, but I can't ask them." replied Jake, "I mean, when Logan found out about the wedding he talked about renting me O.P.M for the day, along with all the strippers. I don't even wanna know what he'll try to get me if I tell him he's _in_ the wedding."

The door to what used to be Brooke's bedroom opened and Clay walked out, "Hey, I'll step up," he announced, stretching his arms over his head, "I promise to help throw you a very tame bachelor party –tasteful, even."

Jake stared at him quizzically, "What are you even doing here, Clay?"

"Power nap," the male brunette shrugged, "So, whatcha say, dude? I make a fuckin' killer groomsman."

Jake sighed in defeat, "What the hell, sure." he shrugged, "Two down, two to go."

Brooke and Rachel laughed, "So, who're the other lucky two?"

"I don't know, I guess I can ask Alexander and Duke or something," said Jake, "Can I put my arms down now?"

"No." answered Brooke seriously, "And Alexander's cool, but I wouldn't pick Duke. No way Hales wants him to be part of the wedding party. Try Sam."

"Or Matt," piped in Rachel, "They're the tame ones of the Phi Delta house. Haley would definitely approve."

Jake shrugged, "I guess…speaking of, where is Hales? Shouldn't she be back by now?"

Like clockwork, the door opened and the honey-blonde walked in. "Oh. My. God!" she squealed, setting down her purse, "Honey, you were right! That spot is perfect!" she proclaimed, walking over to Jake and pulling him down into a quick kiss. "With the flowers and the view!" she pecked his lips again, "It's _perfect_!"

Jake grinned that goofy grin of his, "I knew you'd love it. And it's pretty affordable and close by, right?"

Haley nodded enthusiastically, "Mm-hmm," she agreed, "I separated our date. We're officially getting married two weeks from today."

Both Clay and Jake visibly winced at the loud, high-pitched squeals that the threesome of girls emitted. They'd been at the wedding stuff for weeks now and, finally, a date was set. They quickly bundled up on the couch, talking over each other, discussing what Jake was sure where important details about the wedding –_his_ wedding– but conveniently forgetting he was standing right there. It didn't really bother him, though. So far, the only thing he and Haley had gotten any input in was the locale for the wedding. Brooke and Rachel had coordinated pretty much everything else.

"Dude," Clay snickered, shaking his head, "Y'know you're, like, chaining yourself to this for life, right? That's what it'll be like: B and Rae popping up, pulling Haley onto the couch to discuss things, you standing awkwardly at the sidelines… Plus a kid… _Dude_."

Jake grinned, "Yeah, man," he agreed, "I can't wait," he said with a happy shrug, "A lifetime with Hales –and I've known that's been kind of deal package including Brooke since Freshman year– and starting our family together, nothing sounds better. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm still scared shitless right now 'cause I have no idea how to be a dad, but…I'll learn. This is the future I've always wanted with her."

"Fuck." Clay let out low whistle, "That's deep...and I don't really know what that's like. B and I were raised a certain way…love, it didn't play that big a part in the relationships we had growing up. Seeing you and Hales, kind of makes it seem like it's all real, like it's all worth it."

"Hey, I love her. In my book, that makes everything worth it." Jake grinned, Haley walked over to him and perched herself comfortably on his lap. She smiled, biting her lower lip, "Two weeks, hon."

Jake pecked her lips, "I know. Everything came together really fast, babe. I can't wait."

Rachel and Clay awed, Brooke smiled, "'Kay, guys. I'm set." She said, going over a few post-its. "Uh, Hales, I got the final menu from the caterer's you just need to okay it. Reception's covered –locale, decorations, music, cake– all the trimmings."

"And I'm calling the invitation place right now," cut in Rachel as she dialed her cell, "They'll get them out first thing tomorrow. Hey, are you inviting the 'rents and siblings?"

"Mom called, she and Dad are driving the RV to Canada, but they send their best wishes. I don't have an address for Taylor, and Vivian and Jeff are honeymooning in Paris, so they're out, too." Said Haley, "But I called Quinn and she's probably gonna make it. How about you, hon?"

"Uh…Dad can probably come, but Ronnie's still in Europe." Jake shrugged, "That's pretty much my list. You got invites for the guys, right?"

Brooke nodded, "Yes. Invites for Phi Delta, the non-bitches from the cheer squad, and the guys from the team. And there're also some miscellaneous people: Owen and Chase are bartending, plus Piz who's helping with the music."

"Sounds like that's done." Piped in Clay, standing up, "Now, how 'bout we head to Al's. It's open-mic night. We gotta be there early to sign up."

"I'm not sure I'll make. I'm spent." Shrugged Brooke, turning to Jake, "And Jay, tomorrow at noon, I need your other groomsmen to show up to try on their tuxes."

"Will do, B," Jake said, kissing her goodbye on the cheek. Haley did the same and followed him downstairs.

Rachel gave her a knowing look, "B, you should really come tonight. Clay's playing the drums. I'm singing. So are Jake and Haley, which is a big deal for them 'cause they're the only ones who can _actually_ sing… And Luke's gonna be there."

"And how would _you_ know that?"

The redhead smirked, "We live in the same house. He's like my frat-bro or whatever now that we've bonded." She said, "Anyway, you should definitely come. It'll be a blast."

Brooke sighed, "Alright," she relented, "Let me get my stuff outta here and I'll meet you there in a few."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

The pub was pretty crowded. Everyone thought they were the next Kelly Clarkson. Mostly, a bunch of guys brought out their guitars and played crappy original songs or butchered classics. Jake and Haley loved open mike night, though. They were easily the best performers at Duke and all their friends were excited to see them.

"Hey!" greeted Brooke, smiling as she sat down next to Rachel.

"Hi," replied Rachel, "Ohmigod! You just missed Nate busting out his best Eminem impersonation. Lemme tell ya, he is one white-boy who _really_ can't rap."

Logan smirked, "And apparently he didn't appreciate when I threw that bottle of peroxide at him while he was rapping out that final chorus." He said, taking a pull of his beer.

Clay grinned his million-dollar grin, "I, however, belted out a killer _Jessie's Girl_ –with a kick-ass drum solo to boot! Hell, yeah. Y'know how I do, right?" he boasted, high-fiving Jake, Tim and Logan around the table. "C'mon, sit down, Hales is about to sing. I signed you up, then Jake's closing up the night."

"Look, ya'll," called out Tim, nodding towards the stage, "there's Preggers on the stage."

Haley sat on a stool in the stage and adjusted the mike, "Hey, guys," she greeted, "So, I had actually planned to do another song for tonight, but then I realized that…this song helps me get my point across. So, y'know, this one goes out to everyone who's forgotten to believe in love. Just remember, fate has a way of making believers out of us all."

A chorus of aws emanated from the audience, "Oh!" Haley leaned back forward into the microphone, "Also, I guess this one goes out to my fiancé, the most gorgeous guy in all of Durham, Jake Jaglieski."

The crowd broke out in a loud applause, but immediately quieted down and began swaying along to the rhythm of the acoustic guitar strokes of Haley James soon-to-be-Jaglieski.

_When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind  
He broke his own heart as I watched as he tried to reassemble it  
And my momma swore she would never let herself forget  
And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love if it does not exist  
But, darling, you are the only exception_

"Well," said Clay, taking a pull from his beer, "Girl's got a nice set of pipes."

Rachel sneaked a peek at Brooke, "Girl's as subtle as a bulldozer." She whispered over to Clay, "I'll give you one guess over who that song's about. It starts with Br and ends with ooke."

"Shut up," mumbled Brooke, shaking her head, "You two aren't as quiet as you think you are."

"Hey!" hissed Jake, never taking his eyes off stage, "Will you _all_ shut up? I'm trying to listen to my girl sing."

_Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts  
We've got to find other ways to make it alone or keep a straight face  
And I've always lived like this, keeping it comfortable –distance  
And up until now I'd have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness  
Because none of it was ever worth the risk  
You are the only exception_

When Haley finished the song, the crowd rose up in applause. Brooke cupped her hands around her mouth and whooped loudly along with Jake. Rachel grabbed Nate's hand and tugged him up, "C'mon, Moody, you're singing with me. I signed us up for a duet."

"Ah, c'mon!" whined Nate, "I already sang, Red!"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Okay, you badly rapping _Not Afraid_ is _not_ singing. 'Sides, I'm feeling peppy and I need my best friend for this song." She turned to Brooke, "B, you and Clay are next. He picked out some song for you guys."

Rachel and Nate broke the cheesiness meter performing Jason Mraz's _Lucky._ Clay and Brooke rocked Queen's _You're My Best Friend_ –which, according to them, was their theme song.

Jake took the stage next, strapping on his guitar. "Okay, can I just ask how kick-ass was my girl up here? How 'bout that, huh?" the crowd burst out in applause, "Now, uh, my song isn't that much 'bout love making it all better, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless. Alright, now as awesome and rockstar as it'd be for me to play this song on my own, I was wondering if Clay would step-up to the drums."

The cocky brunette wasted no time in stepping up to the stage and taking a bow before sitting down at the drums. Jake rolled his eyes, "Try to keep up, Evans." He quipped (he always told him that when they played together –it was their version of break a leg).

Jake's skilled hands strummed the strings of the wooden guitar, his melodious riffs reverberating throughout the crowded bar as everyone turned their eyes to the stage. His vocals weren't _exactly_ like Brandon Flowers', but he pulled it off. He made his way throughout the first few verses flawlessly.

_See, I been lovin' you blind  
And I guess that made it hard for me to find  
That we were caught up in the middle of a worn out dream  
I knew we were in trouble, but, baby, I almost screamed  
When I saw you dancing on the moon now  
I watched him spin you 'round and 'round  
Why did you roll your dice, show your cards?  
Jilted lovers & broken hearts_

Haley cupped her hands around her mouth and whooped, cheering Jake on while Nate and Rachel clapped along to the beat. Logan only smirked, and he pulled out a Zippo and started waving the flame in the air.

Brooke scanned the crowd, her hazel eyes stopped on Luke who'd just walked into the bar.

_You kiss me on the cheek and leave  
I followed you through the darkness  
I followed you through the cold  
Woman, I can tell you one thing:  
You're gonna wish you could go back and fold  
_

They locked eyes for a second, hazel on blue just like it'd always been, and Luke waved as he made his way over to the bar.

Brooke excused herself from the table and walked towards the bar, too. "Hey," she greeted, sitting on the stool next to Luke.

"Hi," said Luke, taking a sip from his beer, "Did you sing already?"

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, just before Jay actually." She said, "God, this place is super crowded. I haven't even been able to get a drink."

Luke sighed, and slid his beer over to her, "Cheers. I know Corona's your favorite." The dimpled smile he loved so much graced the brunette's face as she attempted to be polite and refused stealing his drink. "Seriously, Brooke," he cut her off, "Just take it. Y'know ya want it."

"Yeah," Brooke grinned, "I kind of do. But I got an idea," she said, leaning over the bar.

"You know Al gets pissed when you do that." said Luke matter-of-factly.

Brooke shrugged, "Who cares? I'm Al's best costumer." She said, pulling out two highball glasses, "And we should split the beer." She added, dividing it evenly between the two glasses. "Here's to the Blue Devils winning the next game."

Luke grinned, grabbing his glass, "I'll drink to that." he said, clinking them together. "Jake's gotten pretty good, huh?" he commented, nodding towards the stage.

"Yeah. He really has." Replied Brooke. They watched Jake for a few seconds. This was the part they'd never gotten down –talking, being friends, _communicating_. She missed him and his annoying possessive ways and the way his hands got tangled up in her hair and how he smelled like Polo cologne and Downy...she missed knowing that she had a guaranteed spot in his bed, which she would've gladly taken now that she was moving around from place to place.

Luke smiled at her, "Hey, you're dropping the tuxes off tomorrow, right?"

_Why did you roll your dice, show your cards?  
Jilted lovers & broken hearts  
You're flying away while I'm stuck here on the ground_

Brooke smiled back at him, "Yeah. Definitely. Wedding's in two weeks." He gave her a wink and waved goodbye, walking off over to the pool tables.

(Fuck. She actually missed him… _Fuck_.)

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Jake finally got some downtime. The wedding plans were officially set: locale, minister, catering, booze and music (courtesy of the Sigma Chi boys), bridesmaid dresses (Brooke, Rachel, Peyton and Lindsey) and groomsmen tuxes (Luke, Clay, Alexander and Sam) fitted. Jake had managed to talk Logan out of throwing him a Sodom and Gomorrah bachelor party. Instead, him and Rachel teamed up and got strippers from O.P.M to give free lap dances at what they dubbed as the 'Strip For Me, Baby' party, they charged $15 at the door and made a killing. All the profits went over to the Jaley Baby Fund.

Jake had decided to take advantage of the fact that Hales was having a girl's day in, and went back to the Phi Delt house to hang out with the guys. He'd played a little soccer with Sam, Duke and Alexander, and he'd kicked Skills and Logan's ass at Wii. Now, he was playing HORSE with Luke out back.

"That's R." declared Jake as the ball left his hands and went through the hoop.

Luke smirked, "Nice to see impending fatherhood hasn't shitted up your game." He quipped, "Seriously, though, how's Hales doing? Every time I've seen her lately she's been running around with wedding details. This morning she was rambling about needing to pick out your song."

"Yeah, for the first dance. She keeps changing her mind about that daily." Replied Jake with a grin, "But she's really good. Doctor said everything checks out and she hasn't had any more freak-outs. There was a slight panic 'cause the All-Greek Ball's coming up and she couldn't fit into her dress, but Brooke altered it so, crisis averted."

Luke grinned, shaking his head, "God, I'd totally forgotten that was coming up. This Friday, right?"

"Yep." Jake nodded, "Taking anyone special?"

The Brooder shrugged, "Yeah. I might take Monica –y'know the blonde from the squad."

"Yeah, I know who she is… Not exactly what I meant someone special, though." Luke offered him a questioning look, "I was thinking more along the lines of someone tiny, brunette, kind of annoying." Added Jake.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Man, why is it that whenever anyone talks about me and women, it always ends up being about me and Brooke? I _have_ been with other girls before, y'know."

"For the same reason whenever anyone talks about Brooke and men it always comes back to you. Because, for better or worse, Brooke…she was the flame." Explained Jake easily, "These other girls, they're just the moths."

Luke scoffed, "Look who's poetic all of a sudden."

"Just sayin', man."

"Look, do I miss Brooke? Sure. Sometimes. I mean, wouldn't you? But, can I see past everything that went wrong between us and just…why would I put myself through all that again?"

Jake sighed, "As your best friend, I'm with you, what B did was messed up. But as your best friend, I also get to call you out on your shit. You're all…grown-up now, but you weren't before. A few months ago you were fucking a different girl everyday of the week, sneakin' Brooke in and out of here behind everyone's backs. I mean, you _both_ got off on hurting each other…"

"Is there a point to that rant or what?"

"The point is, that while what Brooke did was fucked up by all normal standards, you and Brooke _aren't_ a normal couple –never have been. So, maybe, different rules apply." Jake explained, "Anyway, my wedding's next week, dude. You're the best man and she's the maid of honor –all I'm saying is play nice, don't shit it up."

"Ah!" exclaimed Luke, shaking his head, "So it comes to light, it's all about you and how you're worried about us making a scene at the Jaley Wedding day." He quipped.

Jake grinned, "Oh, definitely. It's all about us, man."

They finished the game and went inside to play some Madden on Xbox. The next few days were pretty loaded and any break to chill out and do nothing was more than welcome.

-xx-

**Friday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

It was time for the All-Greek Ball, the only black-tie even Greek Row hosted in the semester. Guys donned their tuxes and girls donned gorgeous dresses and it was actually one of the tamest parties of the year.

"C'mon, Tigger, are you really not coming tonight?" asked Haley as she finished putting on her earrings.

"Really not going, Hales," replied Brooke, flipping through the pages of an old Cosmopolitan, "I'm not a Greek, I'm no longer dating a Greek, and as of late I'm not fucking any Greeks, either. And since this is the All-Greek Ball, I don't really get an invite."

Haley flashed her a small smile, "You've never missed a Greek party, Brooke. Are you sure you're gonna skip this one? It's, like, the most important party of the year."

"_All _parties are the most important one of the year –'till the next one comes along. 'Sides, the Greek Ball's not that wild. I'm not missing much." Brooke chuckled, "We don't all have a gorgeous boyfriend like Jake to take us as their date, hon."

Rachel walked into the living room in her dark blue dress, her heels clacking along the floor. "Hey, Hales, have you seen my purse?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "You're going to the Greek Ball?"

"Yeah, I never miss a party," replied Rachel, picking her clutch off the coffee table, "I helped Tim buy a tux and he's thanking me by taking me as his date."

The front door opened up, "And that oughta be _my_ date," grinned Haley, "Need a ride, Rae? I heard Tim's pick-up's in the shop or something."

But it wasn't Jake. It was Clay holding a big box under his arm. "Hey, MILF. Looking good." he greeted with a grin, "Save me a dance?"

"Ugh!" shrieked Haley, punching his arm, "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that, you moron?"

Clay chuckled as he stepped inside, "That's a no, then. That's fine, plenty of other babes wanna get up on this." he jokes, then wolf-whistled, "Damn, Freckles! Nice dress."

"Thanks, C," greeted Rachel, planting a kiss on his cheek, "You do know you gotta button up that vest, and the tux requires a tie to complete the whole effect."

Jake walked inside, "You guys really shouldn't leave the door open." he nodded towards Clay, "Hey, man," he said, shaking his hand, "Ready to go, babe?"

"Yes," nodded Haley, "We're giving Rae a ride. Asshat, you need a ride, too?" she asked, turning to face Clay.

"I'm good, MILF, thanks." Clay winked, "But I'll see you guys there, alright?"

Once they were gone, Clay turned towards Brooke who was still splayed out on the couch, reading old magazines. "Okay, here," he said, handing her the big box he'd been holding ever since he came in. Brooke opened and inside there was a red dress (Carolina Herrera, Clay had always had excellent taste). "I still need a date for the ball."

"Clay–"

"Don't." Clay cut her off, "I get it. Life's been a real bitch lately. No one's cut you any slack for the past few months. But you're Brooke-fucking-Davis. It's time to stop pussying around and step up, I'm not saying go back to how things were 'cause things were obviously not working out that good for you, but you can be you without going back. So, c'mon. Lets go."

And how could she really argue with that?

-xx-

**Friday  
Bender Hall**

The party was dark and smoggy from the fog machine on the stage, and strobe lights were flashing illuminating the dance floor. There was a constant burr of noise erupting from the stage. Haley sat at a table taking a drink from a bottle of water since the punch was already spiked. Rachel had a crowd formed around her as she held court in the middle of the dance floor. The band occupied center of the stage, their indie-rock riff reverberating throughout the room as everyone moved along in time to the music.

Clay and Brooke walked in arm in arm, instantly becoming the center of attention. They did their rounds, said hello to everyone, took a few pictures –they knew how to work a room perfectly.

Brooke spotted Peyton Scott dancing with Chase Morello. "Oh my god." she said, tugging Clay's arm, "Peyton ditched you to come here with Owen's baby brother?"

Clay shrugged, "Actually, I see it as I ditched Peyton to come with Brooke Davis." He said reassuringly, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "You needed someone to shake you outta your funk. It just so happens that that falls under the list of best friend duties."

"Thanks, Clay-Bear," she muttered into his chest as she pulled him into a hug.

-xx-

The party was nearing its end. The band was about to play its last song. As the soft chords began to fill the hall, the dance floor filled with couples. Jake was the first one to pull Haley up to dance.

"C'mon, Red," goaded Nate, "I know Tim's your date, but dude's got two left feet. 'Sides, ya gotta save me at least one dance."

Rachel sighed, taking his hand, "Only 'cause I hate it when Tim steps on my toes." Nate just smirked in that overly cocky way of his, muttering "Sure, sure".

Brooke scanned the room, searching for Clay. He was flashing Peyton his charming, lopsided grin. "Y'know slow jams are our thing, Curly. Just one song. Ya know ya wanna." The blonde hesitantly followed him onto the dance floor.

_I don't want to hurt you  
I don't want to make you sway  
Like I know I've done before  
I will not do it anymore_

Then she spotted him –hands neatly tucked in his tux's pockets, hair slicked back in that purposely-messy way and that brooding look perfectly adorning his features. Apparently he was sitting this one out, too. Luke glanced her way and flashed her a half-smile. They'd been seeing each other more and more lately and they'd gotten pretty good at the whole being-civil-to-each-to-each-other thing.

It's an entirely wordless moment –to be honest, they're both a little scared that saying anything will ruin it– his navy-blue eyes lock with hers and he nods towards the dance floor. Her response is equally silent, a succinct nod in agreement as they both walk towards each other, meeting half way.

He wasn't at all surprised that holding her still felt so familiar, that she fit so perfectly into his arms. Just like she wasn't at all surprised that her whole body seemed to naturally arch to connect with his, to mould into his chest. His hands held her waist firmly but gently just as her hands roam his hair. She's not actually used to her fingers tangling up in his hair, last time they were this close together he had a Mohawk.

_I look at you and see a friend  
__I hope that's what you wanna be  
__Are we back now were it all began?  
__Have you finally forgiven me?_

Suddenly the lyrics seemed to be hitting a little too close to home for both of them. Luke pulled her in closer and Brooke clung to him a little tighter. She wanted to say a lot of things but nothing was really coming out. Maybe it was better that way. Because the truth was that this wasn't forever, this just one song and one dance. In four minutes they'd pull apart and they'd go back to being Brooke and Luke and they'd still be broken up.

But it was nice to take a break and go back to before (before everything was so fucking complicated) and just hold each other because it really had been way too long.

_I've always been a dreamer. I've had my head among the clouds. Well, now that I'm coming down, won't you be my solid ground… _


	28. You're Gonna Be My Bruise

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So…this chapter is shorter, but it's up faster. I'm really trying to speed up my updating time for you guys. MAJOR shout out to everyone who reviewed! You dudes are fuckin' awesome.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction  
**__  
__O, You're Gonna Be My Bruise.__  
__(just tonight)_

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke yawned into her pillow, she opened one eye and glanced around the room. It was kind of cold so she pulled the blanket tighter around herself as she sat up. It was the first time in months that she'd woken up in the familiar comfy-yet-ratty couch.

Rachel walked towards her, abnormally large coffee mug in hand, "Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she greeted. Brooke instantly recognized the dark-blue Batman boxers –the kind that an eight-year-old kid wears– that hung low on her best friend's waist (except these belonged to a fully grown-up twenty-year-old boy).

"I take it Nate finally got the benefit part of your friendship back?"

"Had to happen at some point," the redhead shrugged unabashedly. She motioned for Brooke to scoot over and sat down next to her, dropping some of the Justice League themed blanket over her legs. "God, our boys have such mature tastes." She quipped.

Brooke only shrugged a shoulder, grabbing Rachel's coffee mug and taking a gulp, "Mm," she started, glancing around the quiet house, "I've missed this." Back when she and Rachel practically lived here, they were always the first ones up; they liked it when the entire house was quiet.

Rachel remained silent for a few seconds, then, "Yeah…" she said, "It's been a while." After a beat, she added, "So, I saw you swaying with Luke last night. What was going on there?"

"Just a song," Brooke shrugged a shoulder, staring down at her nails, "Everyone was kinda paired up. Y'know I hate being the odd-woman out. So does Luke… It was just a dance."

"'Course it was." the redhead muttered, stealing her coffee cup back.

A boxer-clad Nate was the next one down, "Mornin'," he greeted, stretching out his arms over his head, "I thought you'd fled back to the Phi Delt house," he said, perching himself on the couch's arm next to Rachel. Then, he jutted his chin towards Brooke, "Mornin', sugarpop."

Brooke only smiled, passing him the coffee cup as form of greeting. As usual, Clay was the last one down. He scratched the back of his head lazily as he playfully plopped down on Brooke's lap.

They passed the cup of coffee around between them in silence; Rachel glanced at the paper and Nate and Clay fought over the Sports Section while Brooke surfed the channels looking for cartoons. No one spoke much –they didn't really need to. And Nate teased Rachel for stealing his clothes, and Clay was wearing his stupid dark-blue boxers with the little sailboats and Brooke wasn't sure _whose_ clothes she had on 'cause she just stole a wife-beater and boxer out of the drier.

It was just like no time had passed, the Fantastic Four together again.

Owen came down a few minutes later in his plaid pajama pants, Lindsay James behind him in only his football jersey, "Ah, so the Terrible Four are back to wreak havoc on the house," he said after a single glance at the living room, "Nice to have you back, B. We've missed you around here." He added with a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Hey, guys," waved Lindsay. "Good to have you back, Brooke."

Clay pouted, "We're not _terrible_, are we?"

"Well, there was that one time we let Brooke cook and she burned the kitchen roof," said Rachel.

"Or when we broke the banister trying to toss over that keg." Added Nate, bumping fists with Clay.

Brooke grinned, "Yes… But over_all_ we're not that bad." They burst out laughing, high-fiving each other.

-xx-

**Monday  
Sigma Chi House**

"Hey, Moody," greeted Rachel with her usual impish grin, "Whatcha doin'?"

Nate raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Uh, butchering _Here I Go Again On My Own_ on RockBand 3. Y'know, the usual stuff. Why, what's up?"

"Not much," she replied, plopping down on the couch next to him and grabbing the guitar from his lap, "Just need a date to the Jaley wedding. It's this Sunday. Wanna come with me?" she asked as she effortlessly played every cord of the classic Whitesnake song.

Nate smirked his patented Scott-smirk. "Huh, I thought Riggy was your date to everything now? Isn't he, like, my replacement or whatever?"

"Tim's a friend and we hung out." She replied with an eye-roll. "But…you're my best friend. If I need a date for the wedding of two of my closest friends, I want it to be you."

"Aw, Red," he cooed, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "When you ask like that, how can a guy say no?"

"Don't get cocky, asshole."

Nate shook his head and dropped a kiss on her forehead, "Wouldn't dream of it, Red."

-xx-

**Sunday  
Horton Grove**

Brooke and Clay were running around making sure everything was set up. They'd divided themselves up, B and Clay were taking over decorating Horton Grove; Rachel and Logan handled the reception music set-up and decorating down at Al's.

"And you counted up the chairs, right? There's enough for everyone, and a few extras just in case–"

Clay rolled his eyes, "–yes, Master." He cut her off, setting down the last of the chairs. "Quit being such a slave driver. Place is set: flowers, chairs, piano –it's all done."

"Good." Brooke declared, stretching her arms out over her head, "Now, get a move on, we still have to change. It's still a mystery to me that after wearing tuxes since you were five, you still don't know how to properly put one on."

"Well, it's got all these pieces. And y'know me, I like my things simple."

-xx-

It was now one forty-five and the wedding was supposed to be starting soon. Jake and Haley were in their respective dressing rooms along with their bridesmaids and groomsmen finishing getting ready. Brooke and Rachel were with Jake making sure the guys were ready.

"Um, bad news," said Rachel as she stuffed her cell phone back into her cleavage, "Uh…that was the reverend guy. Some truck or something overturned, and…long story short, he's not gonna make it on time."

Brooke's jaw dropped, this was so _not_ on her Shit-That-Could-Go-Wrong List.

Jake groaned, throwing his head back in frustration. "What the hell are we gonna do now?"

Logan grinned cockily, he raised his hand, "_I'm_ ordained." He said, "And licensed by the state to officiate."

Rachel raised a skeptic eyebrow, "Seriously?"

"Hey," Logan shrugged matter-of-factly, "internet's more than just free porn."

"True that!" added Clay as he walked into the dressing room, "What'd I miss?"

"Haley will _freak_." Said Jake, rubbing his temples.

Brooke let out a huff of breath, "She'll freak _more_ if we tell her there's no wedding today." She declared decisively, "Echolls, you're on. I swear to God, if you fuck this up, I'll cut your balls off."

"And I'll help her." Added Rachel.

Logan pouted in mock-thought, "So no stripper jokes at the altar, then?"

Brooke ignored his comment, "I'm gonna go track down Alexander, Luke and Sam," she said, turning to face Rachel, "Rae, you'll help the guys get ready –straight ties, tightened cummerbunds, buttoned vests. I've got Linds and Peyton helping Hales with the dress. Okay, everybody get ready," she said with an anxious smile, "Wedding starts in fifteen."

-xx-

The chairs were all filled up with smiling faces. Nate sat with Quinn James, Haley's sister, and Jake's dad on the front row. The rest were filled by Jake's Phi Delta brothers and the usual Sigma Chi boys, plus Haley's friends from the squad.

Jake stood at the altar with the biggest grin anyone had ever seen on him. Luke, Alexander, Clay and Sam flanking him. He turned to Luke, "You have the ring, right?"

The blonde smirked, "Yes. I have it. It's all going to go down fine, Jay. _Relax_."

Jake glanced at Logan from the corner of his eye, "Yeah. It'll all be perfect." He muttered.

The organ started to play, and the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle in their red dresses. First Lindsay, then Peyton, Rachel and Brooke. Finally Haley walked down the aisle gracefully. Her original Clothes-Over-Bros gown skillfully hid her already-visible baby bump.

When Haley stood at the altar facing Jake, they held hands and smiled warmly. Brooke thought they looked like the live picture of happiness.

"Right, um, dearly beloved," started Logan in his usual jovial tone.

Haley frowned, "What the hell?" she muttered to no one in particular as Logan continued his obviously improvised speech.

Brooke leaned forward, "Uh, we had a little crisis." She whispered into her ear with a tight smile. "Just go with it, hon, it's all completely legal." All the groomsmen sniggered at the comment.

Despite everything, the ceremony was very tasteful and went on without a flaw. Jake and Haley exchanged their own vows –simple and tasteful, they didn't really need an elaborate speech to show their commitment to one another, they showed each other their devotion with actions on a daily basis and that was plain to anyone with eyes.

Neither Brooke nor Luke lost the rings and Logan managed to be considerably serious throughout the entire thing.

Logan smirked, "I pronounce husband and wife. You may now kiss your woman, dude." He declared, and received a multitude of claps and whoops. The newly married couple linked arms and walked down the aisle, followed by Brooke and Luke, Rachel and Alexander.

Clay linked arms with Peyton and flashed her a lopsided grin, "Betcha never thought you'd be walking down the aisle with me, huh, Blondie?"

"Shove it, Clay." Replied Peyton through a smile.

Lindsay and Sam were the last ones down.

Fucking hell. They'd really done it. They got _married_.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Al's Backyard**

The setup for the reception was considerably casual. Owen and Chase worked the bar, and Skills ad Piz were manning the DJ equipment up on the corner of the stage. When it was time for the first dance, Logan took a mike up on stage.

"Right." he spoke, "Hey. Uh, Jake's my Little Brother over at the house. He's a true pal to everyone 'round the house and, since he wouldn't let me throw him a monster's bachelor party, I had to settle for getting him something else. This is something you'll both enjoy. For your first dance, I give you…Lifehouse!"

The band took center stage and began playing _Everything_ –Haley & Jake's wedding song.

Haley and Jake stood at the middle of the dance floor, swaying easily in time with the song. Jake pulled her in closer, resting his forehead against hers, "We did it, babe."

"We really did." whispered Haley back with a smile.

The wedding party soon joined them on the dance floor. "Let's see how you move, Aussie." Dared Rachel as Alexander twirled her around into his arms.

"Don't step on my toes." Said Peyton.

"You're bossy today," Clay grinned, "I like it."

_You're all I want. You're all I need. You're everything. Everything. Everything.  
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

Luke smirked, "We seem to be doing this a lot lately."

"Well, dancing with you is not the worst maid of honor duty in the world." Brooke grinned in response. "I didn't even know Jake and Hales liked Lifehouse that much."

"Yeah. Their first official date was actually a Lifehouse concert up in Raleigh." Said Luke, "Nate and I scalped them VIP tickets. Anyway, Logan apparently knows Wade and they're on their way to Charleston, but agreed to make a stop here and sing three or four songs."

They kept dancing, eventually joined by all the other couples. Clay shamelessly hit on Quinn James. Nate and Rachel started a shot drinking game and were well underway at drinking out the bar. Then the band announced that this would be their last song. "Every couple get on the floor. Last live song of the evening so, make it count."

_I was only looking for the shortcut home, but it's complicated. So complicated.  
Somewhere in this city is a road I know where we could make it,  
but maybe there's no making it now.  
Too long we've been denying now we're both tired of trying.  
We hit a wall and we can't get over it._

Nate tugged Rachel towards the dance floor, "C'mon, Red," he prodded, "Let's see how good you move after downing half a bottle of Dom."

Haley and Jake hadn't pulled apart throughout the whole thing. They were already on the dance floor. Haley was beyond ecstatic that one of her wedding pictures was with all the members of Lifehouse.

"Luke," called out Brooke, setting down her champagne on a nearby table, "C'mon, last dance of the evening. You wanna?"

The Brooder shrugged a shoulder, and grinned, taking her hand, "Let's do it." They'd both gone stag to the wedding. Actually, they'd both been stag period for the past few weeks.

_Nothing to relive. It's water under the bridge.  
You said it. I get it. I guess it is what it is.  
I was only trying to bury the pain,  
but I made you cry and I can't stop the crying.  
Was only trying to save me, but I lost you again.  
Now there's only lying. I wish I could say it's only me…_

After the last dance everyone sat down at their assigned tables, food was served, and drinks kept going all around. All in all, the wedding and reception were going without a hitch. Then came the time for toasts.

Everyone clapped and whooped. "C'mon! Lets hear the maid of honor and the best man! Bring it!"

"Um, wow, hey," started Brooke as she stood up, "My toast is pretty simple, actually. Dave Eggers wrote that love should be implicit in any connection. I never really understood that until I met Jake and Haley. Because their love and their connection it's very simple and very basic. They love each other and that's plain for anyone to see. I can't think of two better people more perfectly suited for one another." She raised her glass, "So, here's to Jake and Haley, and to a love that's implicit and unshakable. I love you guys." she finished with a wink.

Everyone clapped, Haley pulled her into one of her rib-crushing hugs, and Jake kissed her temple playfully. Even Clay and Rachel were a little moved.

Luke stood up next, "Well, I've never been one for poetry, but Robert Frost once said: 'Two such as you with such a master speed cannot be parted nor be swept away from one another once you are agreed that life is only life forevermore together wing to wing and oar to oar.' So, here's to my best friends, two people who are indelibly etched in each other's heart and who're eternally part of each other's soul. There's no one better ready to embark on the rest of their lives together, forevermore." He recited his speech, raising his glass, "Cheers."

Everyone downed their champagne (except Haley, who downed her orange juice). Jake bumped shoulders with Luke, and Haley wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping a kiss of his scruffy cheek.

The final surprise of the evening were two plane tickets for three days in Monaco –every house on Greek Row had shipped in to spring for those.

-xx-

It was a little after one and the party was finally winding down. Haley and Jake were cutting it kind of catch the red-eyes, so she walked over to Luke to say goodbye and ask for a favor.

"I, uh, I hate to ask," started Haley, "But I was wondering if maybe you could make sure Brooke got home okay. I gave her the key to the apartment in case of any emergency, but she's knocked back one too many, and God knows where she's been crashing lately. So, can you make sure she gets home okay? I'd ask Ray, but she's off with Nate, and Clay's…" she let her voice trail off, motioning to where Clay was feeling up her sister, Quinn, "well, being _Clay_."

Luke kissed her forehead, pulling her into a hug, "I got her. You _go_. Enjoy your honeymoon."

"_You_ are the best best friend a girl could ask for, y'know that?" Haley grinned.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good."

Jake appeared, putting an arm around Haley's shoulders, "Hi, Mrs. Jaglieski," he greeted, pecking her lips sweetly, before turning to face Luke, "Hey, man," he said, doing bump-fisty thing that Haley constantly mocked, "Thanks for everything."

"You're my best friend, Jay," assured Luke, "I always got your back. However, now you're married to my other little sister so, standard rules apply –break her heart and will kick your ass."

"Boys," warned Haley playfully.

Jake kissed the side of Haley's head –this had been their thing since they were five, when Luke had pushed Jake on the playground because he'd said that Haley had cooties. Haley in turn gave Jake a peck on the cheek to prove that she was cootie-free, he'd been chasing her to get more kisses ever since. And Luke always watched out to make sure he treated Haley right, which he always had so really the warning was more tradition than anything else.

"Well, I'm in this for life." He assured, looking into Haley's eyes, "I'd never hurt you."

Haley smiled, "I _know_," she said, because he really didn't need to say it. She'd always known. "I love you."

Luke rolled his eyes playfully, "'Kay, enough, lovebirds. I know you're happily married, but no need to be more gushy than usual."

The threesome said goodbye once more, and Luke promised to get Brooke back to the apartment in one piece.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Luke laughed, "All right, Boozy," he said, grabbing Brooke's keys and opening the door, "Here we go, delivered safe and sound. If you remember any of this in the morning, please be sure to tell Haley I got you home in one piece."

The brunette laughed, that sultry raspy laugh of hers, "C'mon," she insisted, gripping his shirt tightly and pulling him inside, "I think I left a bottle of Patrón stashed somewhere in this apartment."

"And here I thought you were all bad girl gone good." He said, sitting her down on the couch.

"No such thing. You and me, we're the same. We might grow up a little, get our acts together for a little bit, but we always return to our true nature. People don't really change."

"That so, huh?"

Brooke grabbed his tie, "_Yeah_," pulling him in closer, crashing her lips against his, "that so." It's easy enough, old habits die hard, and even if they tried, they couldn't erase their tactile memory –their hands moved on their own accord.

Honestly, she wasn't that drunk. She was Brooke-freaking-Davis, she needed at least ten bottles to be blackout-drunk (either that or some chemical enhancement). But it was easy to let the light buzz control her body and her senses. Besides, it'd been a while since she let pure want and need drive her actions.

(And she _missed_ him.)

Luke gripped her hips tightly –maybe a little too tight, but it's not like either of them liked it gentle– sneaking a hand to her ass as she thrust up against him. She raked her nails across his broad chest, moaning as he bit down on her shoulder. When he felt her hands beginning to unbutton his pants, he immediately pulled back, standing up.

"I'm not doing this, B." The blonde shook his head half-heartedly, "What is the point?"

"No point. C'mon. You're still you, I'm still me." Brooke's dainty hands got a hold of his tie once more, pulling his body back on top of hers. "Please." The weight of him felt familiar in the most wonderful way. Her glossed lips grazed his ear as she seductively whispered, "_Just tonight_."

It was all too much when she nibbled on that spot in his earlobe. Fuck the restraint. He sat back, pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him as he urgently planted his lips on hers, his tongue hungrily delving into her mouth.

Brooke literally ripped his shirt open while he hiked up her dress, bunching it up around her waist. His expert hands slid off her LaPerla thong effortlessly. This time, when she unbuttoned his pants and tugged at his zipper, he didn't –_couldn't_– pull away.

His mouth was nibbling the soft skin of her neck when he remembered, "_Condom_."

The brunette shook her head suppressing a moan –Rachel had taken her purse. _Shit_– "I'm on the pill." She muttered breathlessly.

That was enough for him. Brooke grinded against him once more, and he thrust up into her. "Oh, _fuck_." She groaned, throwing her head back in pleasure.

Their rhythm was hard and fast, and it was slowly sinking in that it'd been way too long since they felt each other. Luke was pretty sure that when she desperately clawed at his chest for the fifth time, she'd finally drawn blood. He doesn't mind much because 1) the fact that he was driving her so wild only made him harder and 2) he's certain that he'd gripped her hips and thighs so hard that he left a bruise.

Brooke let out what was quite possibly the most erotic giggle he'd ever heard, and it's like it reverberated through him when he crashed his lips against hers into another bruising kiss. He groaned. _Fuck_. It was like he felt her heartbeat running through him, pulsating even in his gut.

Brooke fell limp against his heaving chest, breathing heavily, both their skins matted with sweat.

"_Shit_…" Luke muttered as she rolled off of him to lie down next to him. "That was…"

"Yeah."

Luke shifted his weight and rolled himself on top of her. He sucked on her collarbone, whispering against her skin: "_Wanna_ go again?"

Brooke responded by leaning forward, her lips melding against his like clay as her fingers got tangled up in his blonde locks of hair. Luke sank back into her slowly, gripping her thighs once again as she wrapped her long, slender legs around his waist.

Brooke's attempt to roll on top resulted in them both falling off the couch and crashing into the cold, tiled floor. This time around was less intense, more fast-paced –both wanted release again. _Now_.

Neither were sure how long they were at it, but they figure they lasted record time because sky was starting to turn that particular shade of orange that signified the sun would be coming up soon.

The second round left them beat, lying next to each other, their legs tangled together, and almost instantly dozing off. The brunette's hand searched the couch for a duvet. She pulled it down over them, though it barely covered anything, and drifted off to sleep.


	29. And We'll Throw It All Away

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_(Just Tonight, I Will Stay)  
And We'll Throw It All Away_

-xx-

**Monday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

"Ugh," a single groan escaped the Brooder's bruised lips as he sat up on the floor, eyes squinting in an attempt to adjust to the morning sun.

He looked around the living room, his navy-blue eyes stopping on the sleeping brunette lying next to him. Why the fuck had he let this happen? Well, because she's Brooke-fucking-Davis, that's why. But this wasn't the way it was supposed to go down. He'd been moving on…or at least trying to get her out of his head. Because he was still pissed (and hurt), and, yeah, she had apologized, but that didn't change shit.

So, he stood up, careful not to make any noise, and slipped on his boxer-briefs. Last night was such a fucking blur (and he wasn't even drunk), he couldn't exactly remember where all his clothes had ended up. He pulled out his tux's pants from under the couch and put them on.

A glance at the clock revealed it was 9 am. Fuck. He couldn't have slept more than three or four hours tops.

He settled for stealing one of Jake's wife-beaters from the clean laundry basket and threw on his tux's coat over that –it wasn't much, but it would do for the walk home.

-xx-

**Monday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke walked into the house with the full intention of rushing off the stairs, grabbing a shower, and falling into his bed for the rest of the day. Of course, as usually happened with all the best thought out plans, it didn't really work.

"Luke!" called out a voice from the kitchen, "My boy, get your ass in here, man. You was out all night gettin' some boo-tay!"

The blonde walked into the kitchen with a tired smirk, "Morning, Skills," he greeted, sitting on an empty stool, "What the hell are you doing up this early?"

"Gotta get that mornin' grub, dawg," Skills declared as he skillfully flipped the omelet into the air and caught it with the skillet. "Most important meal of the day and all that shit."

Bevin walked into the kitchen wearing one of Skills' basketball jerseys, "Baby!" she exclaimed, "You should totally be on the food network!" she sat next to Luke and grinned, "G'morning, Luke," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Luke snickered –he always thought Bevin and Skills made a funny couple. "Morning, Bevin," he stared at her quizzically as she scavenged the duffel bag on the counter.

"Your lips are kinda bruised," The blonde pulled out a little black tube and handed it to him, "It's ChapStick. It'll help." She chirped happily.

Luke took the tube, "Thanks, Bev," he said swirling it between his fingers, "Um, I'm gonna go change. But that looks good, Skills, save me some." He added as he rushed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

He locked the door to his room and immediately took off the remnants of his tux. He grabbed an old pair of Nike basketball shorts and slipped them on. He stood in front of the mirror and inspected his chest –long scratches all over his pectorals, obviously made by nails digging into skin, vessels of blood had oozed on his neck forming bruises unusually large for a regular hickey, it looked like he'd come out of a fight rather than gotten laid.

The Brooder reached one of his worn out ϕ∆ t-shirts –it wouldn't cover much, but it would do.

By the time he got back down to the kitchen, Bevin was slipping on a pair of sweats and putting on a hoody over Skills' jersey. "Pick me up at eight, alright, baby?" she asked, leaning forward to kiss him goodbye. Like a habit, she pecked Luke's cheek before leaving the kitchen, "Bye, Baby! Bye, Luke!"

Skills waited until he heard the front door slam shut to turn to stare at his boy, "Da-a-a-awg!" he drawled, tugging at the collar of his t-shirt, "Shorty banged ya up good! Who was she? Anyone I know? Was it one of the Tri-Delts? 'Cause I know they into the kinky shit–"

"–dude!" Luke cut him off, "…it wasn't like that. It was…"

Skills furrowed his brow, inspecting his friend's face carefully, "Oh, fuck." He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow, "I know them marks, bro," he said, shaking his head, "That's B. Davis' handiwork, ain't it?"

The look of acknowledgement only crossed Luke's features for a second, but it was enough for Skills to pick up on it –he'd known the dude since they were in diapers. "Man, how many times are ya'll gonna go down that road?"

"No road. It was just–"

"–just one night?" cut off Skills, "It always 'just one night' with you two. Then its just sex. Then its only casual dating. When are you gonna get your shit together, dawg?"

It was a statement of a fact more than anything else –Luke and Brooke had always sworn that it was all a fun fling (even though it was clear even to the blind that it was anything but). And there were two ways this could end up: either they'd slowly but surely fall back into their friends-with-benefits arrangement, or one of them would put a stop to it before it could begin.

"My shit _is_ together." Luke assured, not quite sure if it was to Skills or to himself, "I know we always say it's just one night, but this time it's true. I'm not going back to that."

Skills shrugged a shoulder, "Look, man, far be it for me to support the ongoing drama that is the Brucas relationship–"

"–'_Brucas'_?" Luke questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Skills shook his head, "Bevin, man…" he offered as an explanation then let out a resigned sigh because he loved his ditzy blonde, "Anyway, I ain't wanna support nothin' that's gonna lead to any more drama 'round here 'cause lord know we got 'nough of that goin' on, but…all I'm sayin' is: ain't no weakness in forgiveness. If ya miss her and she miss you and it's something ya both want…why _not_, y'know?"

"Why not…" Luke repeated absentmindedly.

This had to be the longest school year ever –possibly the best and worst he's had so far. Because they were on the way to winning the NCAA Championship title and he was team Captain…and he'd gotten to really be with Brooke Davis.

But it'd also been the year where his first serious relationship had fucking blown up in his face and he'd faced off with his brother more than normal and Brooke had fuckin' slept with him so that didn't help things at all. He wasn't sure if this was getting your heart broken or something akin to that, but if it was, it fucking _sucked._ There was no other way to say it.

Then again, it wasn't all for naught. He'd changed, if only a little. He'd pretty much gotten his temper down and he was definitely more calm and focused.

So…why not? Because he didn't want to throw it all away. If they went back to that it'd be a do-over of everything that had gone wrong before –it'd be too loose and they wouldn't be able to handle it and then they'd crash and burn. Before, being with Brooke made him feel like they were untamable, which wasn't always ideal for their relationship –like a hurricane colliding with a volcano.

-xx-

**Monday  
Jake & Haley's Apartment**

Rachel used her in-case-of-emergency-only key to let herself back into her former apartment. She dropped her purse on the table near the front door and headed towards the kitchen to get herself something to drink.

"Oh, _shit_!" she yelped, hand on her chest, when she spotted Brooke completely naked (covered only by the way too small duvet) on the floor next to the living room couch. "Jesus…" she muttered, grabbing one of the cushions off the armchair and hurling it at the brunette's head.

Brooke sat up startled, duvet cover slipping completely down, "…the fuck…" she muttered, looking around the living room.

"Jeez," Rachel rolled her eyes, "Cover 'em up," she motioned towards her breasts, "It's not like enough people haven't seen them before." She cringed when she noticed a few bruises on the brunette's thighs, "Geez, Hulk much? How hard was the dude gripping when he left _those_ marks?"

The brunette didn't even attempt to figure out a comeback, "I don't know where my dress is," she said instead, wrapping up the duvet around herself and standing up, "Um, is…where…I mean, is he…"

"Relax, B." Rachel sniggered, "Elvis –or whoever it was that gave you some nookie – has left the building." She picked up a white button-down shirt from the kitchen floor, "But apparently he left behind a souvenir." She shrugged, "At least it's more original than a slipper."

The brunette slipped on her underwear, and put on the shirt, "Why are you here? I thought you'd be passed out on Nate's bed." She said, attempting to change the subject.

"Oh," Rachel scrunched up her nose, "Yeah, that's not really happening. I mean, the sex is good, but he's my best friend, so that's not gonna work out. Anyway, he hooked up with Quinn James –he's bragging that he's now tapped 3-out-of-5 James' Girls– and I actually ended up going home with Clay."

Brooke didn't even bother to ask how that had happened because…well, it was Clay and Nate and Rachel, and they were in a whole other league. Besides, she was still processing how she'd woken up alone –two years and he'd never left her sleeping alone after sex, not once. "Still doesn't answer why you're here? It's, like, frigging 10am." She said, stretching her arms out over her head, "Where do they keep the coffee here now?"

They both took a second and looked around the room, taking in everything that marked it wasn't theirs anymore. Where Rachel used to keep her _InStyle_ and _Cosmopolitan_ magazines, there were now a bunch of back-issues of _Rolling Stone_. There were still pictures of them scattered around the apartment, but the pictures that were _theirs_ had been taken away when they moved –in replacement for those, there were old pictures of Jake and Haley.

Then again, it wasn't about what was there, it was about what _wasn_'t there –Rachel's clothes scattered throughout the living room, whatever books Brooke was reading that week strewn all across the tables, the bowl of licorice they kept on the coffee table and the take-out menus they stuffed under it.

Everything was different. (And as much as they rolled with the punches, neither girl had ever been good at handling change.)

"Um, I think it's in the top cupboard," muttered Rachel, snapping out of it as she turned on the coffee maker, "Anyway, I'm here to pick up the rest of my crap. I'm officially moving out."

"Finally taking all your stuff over to the Phi Delt house?"

The redhead sighed, "Actually, no," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears, "I'm moving into the Sigma Chi house. Alexander and the guys have been fun, but…well, it's not my place."

"So, what? You're moving in with Clay now?"

"No. Tony went off to Spain for an exchange thing, so I'm taking his room." Explained Rachel with a shrug, "It's a single so it's pretty small, but…look, there's always the couch. And I miss having you as my roommate."

Brooke was barely listening to what her best friend was saying. She kept going over last night in her head. It'd been amazing –in the same way she and Luke were always amazing– but it'd also been a moment they'd just given into. But then again, she didn't regret it because she's been missing him for a long time now. And he'd left. That'd never happened to her before. She was the one who did the leaving. So what the hell did that mean?

"Rae, um, do you have any clothes left here? Like sweats or something. I just need something to change into right now." She said, "And some shoes, too."

"Okay, well, I feel kind of ignored right now, but sure." Said Rachel, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "I think I left some of my cheer gear here –like a pair of Duke sweats and a Blue Devil t-shirt, it should be in the bottom drawer of what used to be my dresser."

"I'm gonna change. I gotta go. But I'll be back later, help you haul your shit outta here."

-xx-

**Monday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Brooke discovered that Luke had in fact bolted his (her) window shut, which meant she'd have to come in the old-fashioned way and use the front door. She wanted to get in and out of the house undetected to avoid answering any questions, and she made it all the way into the brooder's room unnoticed.

Luke was sprawled out on his futon, MacBook on his stomach as he typed something up. He looked up when he heard the door open and immediately shut, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't think she'd just show up.

"You left," Brooke shrugged, "I wanted to talk. About what happened –"

"What happened? You said it yourself. It was just that once." Luke replied as he sat up, closing his MacBook and setting it down on the floor. "There's nothing left to say." His tone was cold, like he was pissed off.

Brooke frowned, "Why are you mad at me? I didn't force last night on you." It was something they'd both wanted.

"I'm mad at myself, not you. This-this is not about you." he shook his head, "It's about _me_, and the way I am when it comes to…_us_. I'm mad for always being the one who has to apologize, for thinking about you and wishing for you –'cause I haven't gotten you out of my system. And, really, most of all, I'm pissed for...for _not_ getting over you, which I know I should've done by now...but I can't."

"Look, I haven't gotten over you, either. I mean…Luke, I really miss you." she walked towards him, placed her hands on his chest, "I tried, and I thought that I could be done with us, but I'm not."

Luke shook his head, "No." he said firmly, pushing her away, "We've been trough this before. I gave you that speech months ago and you said no. I can't do this."

"We've been together and we've been apart and we've fought and kicked and screamed and we're still _not_ over" Brooke declared, "So why can't we try again?" she walked over to him once more, her face only inches away from his, "I know I've messed up, but I miss you, Luke. I think it'd be different this time."

"That's the thing, it wouldn't be. You haven't changed. _I_ haven't changed. Last night proved that. If we get together it'd be fun for a while –'cause having a good time, it's our specialty, but then we'd just implode again."

Brooke blinked, "God, I don't…I don't get it. You chase after me, and you refuse to let go and you just refuse to back off... And when I'm finally ready to-to be caught or whatever, you don't freaking want me anymore?"

"I can't work on your schedule, B. You slept with my brother, and…I don't know, I made it through that 'cause we still had to see each other, but I can't jump into this because you want me to. Because you think you're ready now. It does not work like that."

"You know what, Luke, you're really good with the big gestures. All the right words and all the big declarations about how much you want to be with me and how you know me. But sometimes it feels like you don't want _me_. Not really. 'Cause you see who I am, and you can't handle it. That's why I'm always waiting for you to turn away. I don't blame you because I'm a fucking mess –daddy issues, mommy issues, trust issues, commitment issues, you name it and I have it"

Luke frowned, "Is _that_ what you think?"

"I think you see me and…it's not what you want. You want who I _could_ be –the me that doesn't live in a house full of frat boys 'cause they're the closest thing to a family I've got, that's put together and dependable and grown up and…I don't know how to give you that."

"_Don_'t. You're right. You are fucked up, but I don't care. I've never cared. Right now, in this moment, I _love_ you. I'm saying it. I've been in love with you for a while now," Luke said, and then he sighed, "And I couldn't admit it before –I was too proud, too cocky, you weren't ready to hear it and I wasn't ready to say it. The problem is you still _aren_'t ready. I see you balling up your fists and rocking on your heels, fighting the urge to bolt with every ounce of strength you have. So you see, I do know you and I still want you and I do not care how messed up you are. But I also gotta think about me. Because I know I can't go through this again. I can't go back to what we were before –what we were before didn't work, friends with benefits can't work for us. Can you tell me you're ready for us? Are you ready?"

Brooke managed to swallow the lump in her throat long enough to choke out, "Luke…"

The blonde walked towards her, taking her hands in his, his navy-blue eyes burning into hers, "I love you, but I can't again. Not if you're not ready. Are you?"

"I…"

"Yeah," Luke replied, his voice shaky, "Maybe last night was just one night. Look, I'd rather wait… And maybe in the future. We'll be better. But right now…I cannot do this. I can't have us falling apart again."

It was a raspy whisper, barely audible, as she looked down at her tangled hands, "Lucas…"

"I think you should go."

Brooke neared him once more, standing on her tiptoes to reach up and peck his lightly scruffy cheek. He heard her mutter a '_goodbye_', and that's as dejected as he'd ever seen her and wondered just what the fuck it was about their timing that was always all wrong.

-xx-

Half an hour later, Luke was still second-guessing himself, sitting up on the kitchen island, mindlessly stirring the melting ice in his now empty glass of Absolut. _Fuck it. It was almost noon anyways._

Logan walked downstairs wearing his usual sleeveless t-shirt and his worn out green Billabong board shorts hanging low on his hips. He pulled a Coke out of the fridge and grinned at him before heading back upstairs.

"Hey, Logan," called out Luke tentatively. The surfer turned around to face him, the look on his face urging him to continue. Luke sighed, "Look, man, I really can't talk to Skills about this anymore. And normally I'd talk to Jake or Hales about this, but they're gone so…"

Logan smirked, "I'm the cheap replacement, I get it," he said, sitting across from him, "Go on. Dr. Logan's in session."

"I'm just kinda messed up right now. Brooke came over. We slept together last night. She said she wanted to try to be us again. I told her no. And I also said I love her. She said I see her, but I want her to be different –more put together, less screwed up. And I do, but not the way she thinks. I don't care how messed up she is. I honestly do not. I just need her to get over whatever hang ups she has so she can be all in for us. It's the only way we're ever gonna have a chance to work."

Logan pursed his lips, "And where does my advice come in?"

"I don't know. You knew her before this, right? Am I making a mistake? Should I run over to tell her I do want us to be together?"

"Yeah, I've known B for a while. My mom was friends with her parents." Logan sighed, "Girls like Brooke Davis…commitment's not their specialty because they've never seen it work out before. It's not really a viable lifestyle choice. But she tries. You gotta see that, don't you?"

"So, you're saying go back to her?"

Logan scoffed, "Hell, no! Look, I'm not telling you to do anything –no one is, that's gotta be your choice. Everyone thinks you two are gonna get your act together sooner or later anyway."

"And what do you think, Echolls?"

"I think it was a dysfunctional relationship at it's best. You and B have the kind of relationship were you love to antagonize each other. One minute you're kissing so hard your lips are getting permanently bruised, next minute it's an all-out brawl in the gym. Almost like it thrives on conflict –like, when it's good it's great, but when it's bad it's just…sleeping-with-your-brother, dumping-her-in-public-and-calling-her-heartless, start-a-big-ass-fight awful." Logan smirked in an almost nostalgic way, "That's the best kind, you know? No one writes songs about the ones that come easy. It's epic –spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. _Epic_."

Luke stared at him curiously because this was as honest as he'd ever seen his Big Bro. He slowly let the words sink in. _Years and continents. Lives ruined. Epic. _ Were he and Brooke –Brucas as people called them– epic?

"Look, dude, I'm not Jay –I suck at advice, but I'm awesome at buying drinks." Logan quipped, breaking the seriousness of the moment, "And I find that after a few beers at Al's, life doesn't seem so complicated anymore. We're only in college, right?"

Luke sighed, "You're buying?"

"Always."

-xx-

**Monday  
Al's Backyard**

Logan made good on his promise and opened up a tab. A few pitchers of beer and fooling around at the dartboard with the guys made things feel normal again. Luke decided to go get himself another drink since little Matty Saracen continued to kick everyone's ass at darts.

"Hey, Al," called out Luke, tapping the oak bar, "Lemme get another pitcher."

"Well, look who's here," greeted Clay Evans next to him, "'Sup, Caveman?"

Luke flashed him a warning glare, "Seriously not in the mood, Evans. Back _off_."

"C'mon!" Clay prompted with his most appealing grin, "After all that bonding when we were planning Jay's bachelor party? I mean, I'm not saying let's be BFFs, stay up all night and braid each other's hair here, but I figured at least we could be civil over a beer." He sighed at the brooder's adamant expression, "I really don't get why you don't like me."

Luke scoffed, "Ah, let's see…you're screwing my baby sister, you're annoying as hell, you were nothing but a pain in my ass the entire time I was dating Brooke, we've gotten into more fistfights than I can count, you're my brother's best friend and he's still not doing too good in my book, the list goes on and on."

"Okay, well, first, I am not screwing your baby sister. I hooked up with her –_past_ tense– we're just buds now. And granted, you're not my first choice for my best friend's boyfriend, but I'm kind of rooting for you now. As for Nate…he's my boy, man, what do ya want me to do? Everyone needs someone in their corner –you got Hales, Jake, Skills, Echolls and the rest of the Phis. Nate's got Rae, O, Dean, the rest of the Sigs and me, just the way of life. 'Sides, he's your brother –and yeah, he pulled the mother of all douche moves, but…he's your _brother_. Sibling relationships are meant to resurface above all the crap that would sink any regular friendship, so maybe it's time you two came to each other's corners." Clay took a pull from his Corona and shrugged, "Can't do much 'bout the fighting 'cause those punches have already been swung, but I have been told I get less annoying once you get to know me."

"Why the fuck are you trying to be my friend right now?"

Clay shrugged, "'Cause you're good for Dimples. Who'd have thunk it?" he said matter-of-factly, "'Sides, Freckles seems to think you have some redeeming qualities…and I trust Rachel." Luke only offered him the same stoic, unyielding stare, "And I can tell they miss you –Nate and B, I mean." He added, dropping a few twenties on the bar, "That's all. And I gotta jet. Class. See ya around, man."

Luke shook his head, grabbing the pitcher and heading back over to the table. _The fuck was going on with everyone today?_ Seriously.

-xx-

The rest of the hours flew by quickly enough, by seven the bar had filled up by students coming out of their late classes. Nate walked in with Dean, James and few other guys from the football team.

Rachel was the next one in, arms linked with Tim and Owen, who had an arm wrapped around Lindsay James' shoulder. Then came the rest of the cheer squad, including Bevin and Skills.

The band had begun playing, music blaring just as happy hour started. Rachel was just about ready to get up on a table when Owen pulled her down, "One of these days, I'm gonna get tired of babysitting you and lil' B," he said as he took the half-empty hurricane glass out of her hands, "Speaking of, where is your better half?"

"Don't know…she stole a pair of sweats this morning and disappeared. Don't know where she's crashing, but she didn't go back to Jaley's place." Rachel shrugged, "I think she's crashing with the XO's this weekend. You should ask Rebecca Logan if you're looking for her." she said, "And now my buzz is officially killed. I'm gonna go get some water." She headed off towards the bar.

The redhead tapped the bar and called out for a bottle of water. "Her drink's on me, Al." called out Luke, taking the stool next to hers. Rachel smirked, tilting her Dasani bottle slightly before taking a gulp, "Cheers, Scott,"

Luke grinned, "Water? You feeling alright, Rachel?"

"Trying to create healthier habits," dismissed the redhead, staring at the collar of his shirt. Finally, she grabbed it and pulled it down, revealing the bruises on his neck, "Oh, no fucking way!" she exclaimed, "_You_ are B's living-room-floor hook-up? No wonder she ran out on me like her hair was on fire." Brooke sure a hell didn't want to be probed by Rachel. The redhead never played fair.

The brooder adjusted the collar of his shirt and sighed, "Try to keep it to yourself, Rach. I'm serious."

"And when did we cross over into the asking-me-for-favors, calling-me-'_Rach_' territory in this relationship?"

Luke flashed her an endearing smirk, "I'm hoping since right now."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "And suddenly the twin-vibe isn't so absent between you and Nate. Nice to see the infamous Scott Smirk is a shared trait." She laughed, "It's cool, Scott. It stays between us. I gotta ask, though…you sure you know what you're doing?"

Luke licked his lips… "No idea." he shrugged, "I'm just working off instinct here. I don't know. I'm trying to…do the right thing, I guess."

"The right thing…" repeated Rachel, "That's a bitch, isn't it?"

_Just a cigarette gone  
No, you couldn't be that far  
I'm driving my to where I hope you are  
Maybe I can talk you down  
Maybe I can talk you down  
We're standing on a tiny ledge  
Before this goes over the edge  
Gonna use my heart and not my head  
And try to open up your eyes  
__**This Is Relationship Suicide**__._

Just then, Brooke walked in with Beth and Delilah plus a few other girls from the squad.

Luke glanced at her quickly, took a pull from his corona and sighed, "Relationship suicide…" he muttered, "I'm gonna head back to my crowd."

"B. Davis!" called out the redhead as she waved her friend over.

Brooke grabbed the stool that Luke had previously occupied. "Hey, Rae," she greeted, ordering herself a beer, "What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Where've you been all day?"

The brunette shrugged a shoulder, "Around. I went for a run and, um, I grabbed the rest of my stuff out of the XO house 'cause my time on their couch expired."

"And nothing else happened?"

Even despite her steel poker face, Brooke had a few tells. They were hard to pick up, but Rachel knew them all. And right now, Brooke was doing that thing where she tucked her hair behind her ears and licked her lips anxiously. "Nope. Pretty average day."

_Bullshit_.

Rachel nodded, more to herself than to her brunette friend, "Right. Um, I gonna head home now. Take it easy tonight, B. Remember, we're reworking the routines tomorrow since Hales won't be here for the next game."

"Yes, I know." Brooke flashed her a smile, "I'm the one who scheduled the practice."

The redhead pecked her cheek and waved goodbye, "See ya tomorrow, B."

Brooke grabbed her beer and headed towards the pool tables in the back. Alexander was already there (the blonde Aussie seemed to be the only one who gave her any competition), and he waved her over.

She spotted Luke a few tables over and immediately looked away. If it was at all possible, she felt more uncomfortable than before.

_I love you…I'd rather wait…maybe in the future_.

Alexander nudged her shoulder, "You alright, Boss?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Brooke nodded a little too enthusiastically, "Yeah," she said, "Just…thinking 'bout the future."


	30. All Fits & Starts

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: Yes, I'm alive. I'm also planning to get my act together and start updating this more regularly (hopefully). You all the best readers a guy could ask for. So, I'm really sorry for all the wait.**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_All Fits & Starts_

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Brodie Recreation Center**

Brooke and Rachel's frustrated shrieks filled up the gym once again while the rest of the squad continued to mutter hushed protests.

"No, Peyton, you gotta stop pointing your toes! Lock your knees!" – "You're still, like, three beats behind, Bev! Why can't you get this count down?"

The loud thud of Peyton Scott's fifteenth fall headfirst into the matt caused the squad to let out a huge groan. Brooke rubbed her temples, "Alright, everyone take five." She said, walking over to sit down on the bleachers.

Rachel stood in front of her, hands placed firmly on her waist, "We're fucked. I'm not trying to be a bitch, but the only thing Little Scott's got that makes her a good flyer is the fact that she's easy to throw –she can_not_ pull off the helicopter. And Bevin can't get the new count down, so she keeps bumping into everybody."

"Bevin _still_ hasn't gotten it?" Just what she needed –more shit to occupy her mind. This practice was supposed to help her clear her mind and blow off steam. Instead, it was pilling more shit into her stuff-to-worry-about list.

The redhead sighed, "I've been working with her for over an hour and still nothing."

"Why can't we just wait for Haley?" questioned Bevin, who (despite being usually clueless) wasn't used to not getting it done on practice, "I mean, she's back day after tomorrow, right?"

"'Cause the brain trust got herself knocked-up," sneered Rachel, "We can't throw her in ten feet up the air anymore. It's dangerous for the kid."

With Haley's participation in the routine limited, and being down a cheerleader since Theresa quit the squad, they were desperate. There were only three girls on the squad who could pull off the helicopter flawlessly. For reasons still unknown, the natural born klutz Haley is one of them.

Bevin threw her hands up in surrender, "Well, I'm still not following the new count, and I keep landing wrong on the layout step out. Something's gonna get sprung."

"_Sprained_, Bevin," corrected Ashleigh offhand, while Meghan huffed, "We need a new plan, _Captain_. Routine for the next week is still rusty –it's the _final_ game. We can't be off point. And we have Nationals week after that."

Brooke rolled her eyes; she knew all this already. "Fine. Lets, uh, switch it up –Bev lets see how you fly, Peyton...Rach's gonna walk you through the new count. Maybe that'll be a better fit."

"We're gonna have to readjust the whole thing _again_?" one of the girls protested. The glare Brooke threw her served as an answer. She was already fucking it up too much in real life. But this she could control. Their routines would be flawless. Besides, cheering was a healthy distraction.

Fifteen minutes later, Clay walked in, "Woo!" he called out, "Go Blue Devils!" he mocked, pumping a fist into the air.

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here, C?"

"Uh…hot sweaty girls in short shorts and sport bras, tossing each other up into the air? This is, like, my mother ship, Dimples." He responded matter-of-factly, "I was _born_ for this."

Before Brooke could snap at him for barging in on their practice, Rachel stepped in to his defense. "Down, Killer," she said offhand, walking towards them, "I told him to pick me up. I thought we'd be done by now."

"Yeah, Brooke," commented Peyton, "Practice already ran over an extra hour and a half. Can we call it a day already?"

Clay nudged her shoulder, "Yeah, Pey's right. C'mon, Slave Driver," he said, "Cut 'em some slack. Cranky cheerleaders are crappy cheerleaders."

The brunette threw her arms up in surrender, "_Fine_. But I want everybody here early next practice." She turned to the blondes in the squad, "And Bev, Peyton, you two should really keep hitting the practice matt. We need you to get this down."

All the girls muttered their agreement as they rushed off to the showers before their Captain changed her mind about ending practice. Brooke crashed down on the bleachers and began to rub her temples once more.

Rachel laid a hand on Clay's shoulder, "Hey, I'm gonna go shower and change. Wait for me?"

"No fun goin' out without you, Freckles." Replied Clay, checking out her ass as she trotted off to the locker room, "So what goes on, Dimples?" he questioned, sitting down next to Brooke on the bleachers, resting his weight on his elbows.

Brooke shrugged, "Not much, I guess." Only that Luke had said he loves her and talked about the future and she was still scared as shit by the thought of it all. This was serious cause for girl-talk. She needed Haley back. Now. "Trying to keep out of trouble. What's the deal with you and Rae?"

Clay chose to ignore that entirely unsubtle deflection and smiled, "Don't really know," he said, "I mean, we where together for a while, but then we stopped and hooked up with other people…" he let his voice trail off, "Rae's…_special_. She knows me, so none of my usual crap works on her 'cause she just sees right through it. It's what makes it fun."

"Fun's good."

"And speaking of fun," Clay continued, "You've got a birthday coming up. April third's right around the corner." He sing-songed.

"Not in the mood for a big party right now." Brooke shrugged, "I just want these next two weeks to be over. Too much stress."

Clay nodded in understanding, "By the way, why are you guys practicing here? I thought you usually shared the gym with the b-ball team."

"We needed the extra space." Declared Brooke with a shrug. "Plus, they're in training, too. Coach K. wants them completely focused."

Rachel jogged up to them, fresh out of the shower. "Ready, Clay," she said with a smile, "B, you wanna tag along? We're just gonna go catch a movie, maybe get some grub."

Dinner and a movie. How very cliché of them. "No," Brooke smirked, "You two go ahead. I'll see you later."

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke Gym**

The sharp sound of the small metallic whistle cut through the dribbling of basketballs. All the players stopped, resting their hands on their knees and attempting to catch their breath. "That's all for today." Said Coach K. "And I want everyone rested, because we _are_ bringing that Championship trophy home with us, Gentlemen."

The team clapped and whooped as they made their way towards the locker room. Coach K. cleared his throat, "Scott!" Both Luke and Nate turned to face him. "_Both_ Scotts. My office."

Luke and Nate reluctantly sit on the chairs across from the desk and watch Coach K. pace for a few seconds, "Now, I make it a rule not to get involved in my player's personal life, but you two are proving to be the exception to that. I don't care what measly sibling rivalry you two got going on, but it ends now. I can't have that on the court and I don't care if I have to bench both of you –"

"–but Coach we haven't even fought–"

"–it's not about having you two fighting on the court," Coach K. said glancing at Nate, "Or starting a catfight among the cheerleaders on the sidelines." He added, glancing at Luke, "It's about playing as a team. You two need to start communicating on the court again. It's not every man for himself out there."

Luke and Nate exchanged awkward glances, "I don't care how you do it –go get a beer, head over to OPM, beat each other until you're friends again. But you play as teammates or you don't play." The brothers nodded silently and remained seated, "Now, what're you two waiting for, a hug? Get out of my office." They both smirked as they stood up and headed for the door, "And rest up for the game."

They were the last people in the locker room and the last to leave the gym. Nate headed towards the parking lot and he saw Luke heading towards campus instead. "Uh, hey, man, I got my car here…if you want a ride." He offered.

Luke gave him a once over. Nate had tried to apologize way too much and he was tired of his brother's attempts to make it all better. Then again, Coach K. didn't play around –he'd bench them in a heartbeat, "Yeah, sure," he muttered, then followed him towards his Jeep.

"So," started Nate a few minutes into the car ride, "where's your car at?"

"Shop. It broke down on me." said Luke, "Uncle Keith sent a tow to get over to his garage here in town."

Nate smirked, "How is Uncle Keith doing?" he asked, knowing that he was probably on of his '_business trips_' with Karen.

"Same as always," smirked Luke back.

The silence didn't take long to settle back in again. Luke stared at the dashboard absentmindedly. Then, his navy-blue eyes fixed themselves on a wrinkled picture from a Photobooth that was taped to the corner of the mirror. He pulled it off and stared at the worn out picture of himself. There were four snapshots of Nate and Peyt and him –making goofy faces, smirking the Scott-smirk, sticking their tongues, and kissing Peyton's cheeks.

"That was Noel Kahn's party senior year, remember?" questioned Nate, "Big blowout, his parents were in Brazil or something –then he tried to make a move on Peyton and we kicked his ass."

Luke nodded, "Yeah. He actually called the cops on us. Then Dan had to do his thing to get us off. He was so pissed off at us."

"And Peyton did her daddy's girl routine and convinced him we were just trying to defend her honor or something." Nate said, "I think he was actually a little proud of us after that."

Luke nodded once more, "We used to be good at the twin thing."

"Look, dude, I know I can't make it right. I mean, I can't exactly turn back time to take it all back." Said Nate, his tone serious, "But I do regret it. And when I apologize I'm not trying to placate you. It's just…you're still my brother. And I miss that."

They both remained silent for a few seconds longer, then Luke sighed. "Yeah. I get it." he said. A part of him wanted to remain pissed off at Nate, but it'd been months and, honestly, he and Nate had been fighting long before the stuff with Brooke happened –over Dan, over school, over basketball, over _everything_. Maybe it was time they finally called truce. "How 'bout that beer now?"

Nate grinned, "Al's?"

"Where else?"

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Al's Backyard**

A few surprised eyes landed on them when everyone spotted the Scott Brothers walking into Al's together. It'd been months since anyone had seen them hanging out together without either of them wanting to throw punches. And though only a select few knew the reasons for the sibling dispute, everyone figured they'd continue fighting until the end of the year.

They headed towards the bar and occupied two stools. Nate tapped the counter, "Al, two Coronas," he called out.

Logan Echolls appeared behind them. "Let there be peace on Greek Row!" he declared, throwing one arm around each brother's shoulder, "Now, may I ask what prompted this wonderful family reunion?"

Luke shrugged his arm off, "Just some brother bonding time, Logan," he said mockingly, "Thought you'd be a fan of that. You're all about the group bonding, right?"

Nate smirked at the comment, taking a pull off his beer. Tim Riggins popped up next to Logan, beer in hand, "'Sup, y'all," he said with his usually charming drawl, "What we talkin' about over here?"

"Family time." smirked Logan.

Nate smirked back at him, "Shut it, Echolls."

"Aw, now, now, bros," replied Logan with his trademark sneer, "Play nice. I'll buy you another round," he signaled to Al, "Two more for the Scott Boys. On me." he said, winking and downing the last of his glass of Scotch before slamming it back on the bar, "See you boys around."

Nate turned to Luke, "At least your boy buys drinks, man," he joked, "Mine just _drinks_," he motioned towards Tim, "What's up, Riggy?"

Tim shrugged, "Me and a few of the guys" –he nodded towards Duke, Dean and Dick who were standing by the door– "are heading over to the Rat. Wanna tag along?"

Luke furrowed his brow, "What's the Rat?"

"It's this pub near Lancer College," answered Nate, rolling his eyes. A bunch of the guys had been driving down there for the past few weekends. He hadn't checked it out yet. "They have live bands and open mike nights and stuff."

"So you're basically driving a few towns over to go to another college's version of Al's?" questioned Luke with a raised eyebrow. He'd heard some people talking about a new bar, but he didn't know it was out of town.

Tim smirked, "Missing the point, guys," he said, "New meat. Now, we've already tapped all available tail on campus. And I don't know about you two, but I don't like repeat…c'mon, what else do y'all gotta do?"

Nate shrugged a shoulder, "I'm game if you are," he said, glancing towards Luke.

Luke sighed, too, "Fine. I'm game. Let's go." He had nothing better to do anyway and some fun would be good. He could use a distraction right about now.

It'd be nice to relax.

-xx-

**Tuesday  
Sigma Chi House**

The Sigma Chi House was uncharacteristically empty, most of the guys went off to a pub, and the rest were out at the Tri-Delt all-night party. Clay and Rachel walked in still laughing their asses off over something stupid and stumbled into the living room.

They plopped down on the couch –Clay put his feet up on the coffee table and Rachel put her feet up on his lap. Seconds later they heard the front door open and there stood Brooke, big ass duffel bag thrown over her shoulder.

"Hey, B," greeted Rachel with a grin, "We brought you back a burger from Snook's." she added, waving the take-out bag, "Bad news is we ate first so it's probably a little cold."

Brooke threw her bags on the floor. Rachel and Clay scooted over to make room for her on the couch. She grabbed the bag and pulled out a fry, "That's okay. Thanks Rae," said Brooke, "I like my fries stale."

"What's all that, Dimples?" asked Clay, grabbing the remote.

Brooke sighed, "All my crap." She said simply, "I'm moving in again. And you two are on my bed right now."

Rachel and Clay exchanged looks –when he told her he'd tried talking to Luke, she'd told him about Brooke & Luke hook-up and they were both wondering what was going to happen next. Clay finally shrugged, "Alright, then," he said, "Welcome home, Dimples."

"Yeah," echoed Rachel, "I'll bring down some blankets for the couch later."

"Thanks."

Clay turned on the TV to TMC and they watched an old black & white movie in silence while they ate the stale fries. Both Brooke and Clay propped their feet up on the coffee table. Rachel was sprawled on top of them, head on Brooke's lap and legs on Clay's.

They laughed until they cried and ate Twizzlers and they ate whipped cream and jellybeans off of Rachel's stomach, drank six-packs of beer and then played bowling with the cans and a miniature soccer ball. They hadn't done this in months –they'd been busy and their lives had been turning upside down over and over lately.

It was almost one when Tim and Dean finally rolled in, two girls in yellow and blue cheer uniforms with them. They were clearly wasted and Clay raised an eyebrow at the sight, "And in true Sigma Chi fashion, not a night passes in this house without _someone_ getting laid."

It was almost one when Tim and Dean finally rolled in, two girls in yellow and blue cheer uniforms with them. They were clearly wasted and Clay raised an eyebrow at the sight, "And in true Sigma Chi fashion, not a night passes in this house without _someone_ getting laid."

Rachel flicked a red jellybean at his head. Clay pouted, "Play nice, Freckles," he said as he lit up the shots of amaretto, "Or no more flaming dp's for you."

Brooke just giggled and sprayed more whipped from the can into her mouth, grabbing her shot Rachel and Clay did the same. "Ready. One, two, three!" counted out Clay, then they dropped the shots in their glasses of Bud and chugged them down.

Rachel scrunched up her nose, "Ugh, it's like a mix of Dr. Pepper and vomit." She exclaimed, slamming the glass down on the coffee table. Both she and Brooke giggled once more, chanting, "Again! Again! Again! Again!"

They weren't exactly back to normal. Things were still pretty fucked up. Brooke kept playing Luke's words in her mind over and over, and not even the skunked beer could push him out of her mind. She wanted to figure out what to do next.

Rachel nudged her and handed her another lit up shot, "Chug, chug, chug," she prompted, "Down it, B. Davis!"

But then again, it was nice to relax.

-xx-

**Thursday  
RDU Airport**

Luke put the truck on park and continued to skip through the shuffle of songs –that's what he got for borrowing Rabbit's car: an unlimited playlist of hip-hop songs. Finally he landed on one he liked and set the iTouch back down, his eyes now scanning the crowd for his newlywed best friends.

He spotted them by the nearby exit and honked. Jake rode shotgun and Haley got the backseat all to herself (she'd gotten bigger while they were away, though Luke got the distinct feeling that he wasn't supposed to comment on that).

"So, how was the honeymoon?" he asked instead.

"Well, at one point Hales got paranoid 'cause she _thought_ she was having contractions," explained Jake, "So we rushed to a local ER, but it turned out it was just a bad stomachache from eating all that spicy food."

Haley slapped his arm lightly, "Right, but tell him about the _other_ big news!"

Jake grinned, "Yeah, well, it turns out the trip wasn't a waste because we found out that –"

"–the baby's a girl!" squealed Haley, cutting Jake off excitedly.

"I'm gonna have a niece?" Luke questioned with a grin.

"Yes!" Haley wrapped her arms around him from the backseat nearly strangling him in the process.

"Ugh," Luke wheezed, "Too much love, Hales. Can't breathe." He coughed when Haley loosened up the death grip and smiled. "A baby girl." He said, bumping knuckles with Jake, "It's real now, dude."

Jake grinned, "I know, man. I still can't believe it."

Haley rolled her eyes, "Yes, because my morning sickness and protruding belly didn't make it real enough."

Jake turned around and pecked her lips, "Sorry, babe," he said with a smile, "We just mean…it's no longer a he-or-she, or it –now, it's _her_. It's our girl. And she actually looks bigger than a peanut in the sonogram." He added, pulling out the small sonogram and showing it to Luke.

"Ah, kid's first picture," commented Luke, "Gotta save that one, man. You two figured out a name yet?"

Haley shook her head, "Nope. Now that we know it's a girl, it eliminates the boy half of the list of names we have, but we haven't narrowed it down any further than that." she said with a shrug, "But enough about us. How are _you_?"

"I'm fine," Luke said, "Everything's been good. Um…Coach K. is seriously not gonna cut you any slack, Jay. We're playing Butler next week, Championship title on the line, man."

Haley pouted a little, "At least he gets to play. I'm officially out of the competition for Nationals. I thought I wouldn't be showing a lot yet, but clearly I was wrong." It surprised her that she was actually bummed about missing out. The only reason she'd kept on cheering in college was because Brooke talked her into it. She chalked it up to hormones, as she was doing with most things lately.

"I know, babe, but we can drive down there," said Jake with an encouraging grin, "You can…cheer for the cheerleaders."

Luke smirked, "Nice." he said as he parked in an empty spot.

Jake and Luke lugged the bags upstairs and patiently waited while Haley fiddled with the keys to open the door of the apartment.

"SURPRISE!"

A huge WELCOME HOME banner was hung over the living room. Rachel and Brooke jumped out from their hiding spots with noisemakers and confetti. Clay remained splayed out on the couch. He wore two paper hats as if they were horns. "Welcome home, MILF." He flashed Haley his million-dollar grin, "And, uh…the dad." He added nodding towards Jake. "I don't really swing that way, but I think the ladies would agree you're a DILF. Right?" Rachel slapped the side of his head.

Jake scoffed, shaking his head, "Thanks. I think." He hugged Rachel and Brooke hello, but really all they did was immediately huddle up on the couch with Haley. They hadn't talked in a few days. That was, like, a century in girl time.

Jake crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, "Seriously," he said, "A welcome home party? We weren't even gone a week."

Luke smirked, "You should see what Logan planned for you at the house."

"Hmm," Clay shrugged, "Any beer in the fridge?"

Jake just sighed –like accepting that Brooke, Rachel and Haley came in one package, he'd also come to accept that where Brooke went, so did Clay. "Bottom shelf, C," The dude wasn't so bad once you got used to him. "Want one?" he asked Luke.

The Brooder shrugged, "Why the hell not?" Before going into the kitchen, his navy-blue eyes focused on Brooke for a second. She was nodding along at laughing along with Haley's stories and she looked good. He knew it was an act 'cause he knew her well enough to figure that the I love you thing must've still had her pretty shaken up, but he didn't comment on it.

Jake, Luke and Clay huddled up on the stools around the kitchen island and drank their beers and talked about the final game next Wednesday. Clay had gotten a pool going about who's gonna win –Duke, of course, was favored by everyone.

And it's nice, Luke thought, the semblance of normalcy that this moment hasd. He downed the last of his beer and placed and bet with Clay and Jake about the game.

Luke bumped into Brooke as he came out of the bathroom. "Sorry," he muttered an apology.

"Luke, I've wanted to talk to you lately…" whispered Brooke, "I…I don't know–"

"–what do you want to talk about?" Luke cut her off.

Brooke furrowed her brow, "About…well, what you said before, I…"

"I said all I needed to say, B." Luke blinked, shrugging a shoulder, "What more do you want from me?"

Brooke opened and closed her mouth a few times; she licked her lips, "Nothing."

Luke nodded, "Fine." He headed back into the kitchen to grab his coat. He needed to get Rabbit his car back, anyway.

"Hey, Luke," called out Jake, "Clay just told me there's a bonfire this weekend, some pre-game victory thing or something. Everyone's going. You in?"

"Sure, man," assured Luke with a swift nod, "I'm there."

-xx-

**Friday  
Duke University Golf Club**

Luke tossed his bag in the back and jumped into his brother's familiar red Jeep. "'Sup, man," Nate offered his fist and Luke bumped knuckles with him silently. It hadn't been so bad, making up with Nate. He thought it'd be awkward for a while, but falling back into their old patterns came surprisingly easy.

"What up, dawg!" Skills grinned as he jumped into the backseat, "Man, this feels good. Yeah, I definitely got a good feeling 'bout this, man. Been too long since we did this. Me and the Scott Bros. Feels a little bit like high school."

Luke and Nate just smirked. The blonde-haired Scott turned on the radio to a random station. A Jason Derülo started blasting through the speakers.

_Mm, Whatcha say  
Mm, that you only meant well  
Well, of course you did  
Mm, Whatcha say  
Mm, that it's all for the best  
Of course it is. _

The drive was short and quiet. Skills sat in the back, feet up on the seat as he hummed along to the lyrics while Nate tapped out the beat against the steering wheel. Luke was only half-listening to everything. He felt like he was running on half-speed ever since the whole thing with Brooke. It should've been done. He'd said his piece and he should be over it. But of course it wasn't and he hadn't. The pull Brooke Davis had over him was one of the fucking mysteries of the universe.

"I can practically _hear_ you brooding over there." Nate said sarcastically, "Don't be such a chatterbox, dude. My ears are starting to hurt."

Luke smirked, "What, dude, piercing silence bugging you?" He quipped, staring absentmindedly out the window. That's where Luke and Nate were opposites –Nate loved to talk, Luke was more comfortable with silence.

"Aah, look who's the funny guy," replied Nate, "I'm laughing so hard right now. C'mon, man, nothing to say? That's fine. I can do all the talking. So, I think I'm in love a little bit. There was this girl at The Rat the other night, you remember? The one that took me back to her place? Right, well, we didn't do anything, but she's pretty freaking amazing. Like mind-blowing, dude."

Luke shook his head, scoffing in disbelief. Nate fell in love with a different girl every week. "This feels way too much like high school. I remember when you fell in love with Anna, Charlotte, Mary, and Natasha –and all on the same weekend, which is really impressive."

Skills grinned, "I remember that weekend." He said, "Man, that was a _good_ weekend, dawg. Good times."

"Yes. Unlike you, who fell in love with no one." Nate shot back, "You've always needed a crash course on how to lighten up. Not everything's serious all the time."

Luke licked his lips. If he said it, it'd be official. It'd mean that he and Nate were officially on good terms again. _Fuck it_. "Yeah, well, I told Brooke I love her. How's that for falling in love?"

Nate and Skills' eyes widened at the news. "_Damn_, dude!" they exclaimed in unison, Nate's foot slamming down on the brakes at the red light.

"Fuck, I knew it. I knew it!" proclaimed Skills, leaning forward.

"Don't leave us hanging, dude," said Nate, "What'd she say?" Nate knew Brooke. Sure, it'd been awkward since the hook-up, but they'd been best friends for two years. He still understood how the girl thought and processed things. This was a huge fucking deal.

"Nothing." Luke sighed, shaking his head, "And I didn't expect her to. You know Brooke Davis."

Skills shrugged a shoulder, "Shorty got more drama than a damn telenovela."

The brothers laughed at the comment, "Do you…wanna _talk_ about it?"

Luke scoffed. "No." he assured, "Golf's a quiet, reflective sport. Kind of the point of this whole bonding trip. 'Sides, talking about Brooke and me?" he said, eyeing Nate "We're so not there yet, man." No need to push the boundaries of their newly re-established relationship yet.

"Right. I get that." Nate nodded, as he pulled into an empty parking spot, "We don't need to talk. And you'll get to hit things. That's always good."

"Yes it is."

Since it was early, they had the driving range all to themselves. Minutes blurred into hours as they hit the balls all the way across the green. Only the swish and clacks pierced the air as they silently continued their game.

Nate's blue eyes squinted as they followed the ball. "This was a good idea,"

"No talking." Luke smirked, "And you just shanked it."

Nate raised an eyebrow as he hit another ball off the tee, "No talking."

Skills just shrugged, "Yeah, but he right, though," he said, "Totally shanked that last one, dawg." Luke laughed.

"So, y'all hear about the bonfire tomorrow?"

"Yes." Luke said, "Jake and Clay were talking about it yesterday."

Nate furrowed his brow, "Since when do you and Clay talk? I thought you couldn't stand him."

"We don't and I can't." assured Luke, "But he was there with Brooke and Rachel when I was dropping Haley and Jake back at the apartment. The girls were having their chick-talk and I stayed for a beer. Evans just doesn't know how to shut up."

"Back off him, Luke," Nate said, "He's my best friend." He was well aware that Clay was a smartass who never knew when to shut up, but he was still his boy.

Skills stepped in, "Whatever. Stayin' on point, though," he said, "Party tomorrow's gonna be tight. Big O and Logan rallied on to get the supplies and shit –it's gonna be good. 'Sides, you" he turned to Nate, "can think of it as a test, see if you still lovin' whastername on Monday. And you," he nudged Luke, "well, B. Davis gonna be there. Maybe somethin' will go down."

"Nothing's gonna go down, Skills." Luke looked down at his feet and let out a sigh, running a hand through his blonde locks of hair, "She's not ready."

Strong hands gripped the golf club harder. Broad shoulders turned and arm muscles tightened as the lanky blonde swung the driver with all his strength. The tiny white ball zipped off the tee, moving faster than Skills and Nate's eyes could follow and disappearing into the green.

"Shit," said Skills, "Nice hit, dawg."

Nate nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Way to get the anger out. You weren't, like…thinking that was my head or something, right?"

Luke smirked, "I'll leave that part to your imagination, brother."

-xx-  
**  
Saturday  
Wrightsville Beach**

The full moon shone brightly above the raging bonfire while the white waves crashed against the shore, stirring the clear sand. Jake Jaglieski sat on one of the wooden logs scattered around the shore. Guitar on his lap as he held court around one of the many campfires, agile fingers expertly plucking the strings of his old Gibson.

Haley James-Jaglieski sat at his side, one arm linked through his while her head rested comfortably on his broad shoulder. The cold and salty night wind blowing against their faces, Jake's brown eyes continued to drift lovingly towards his wife just to make sure she was okay.

"_Hey, ho, hey, ho! –I was thinkin' 'bout her, thinkin' 'bout me, thinkin' 'bout us, what we gonna be. Open my eyes, yeah, it was only just a dre-e-e-eam! So I travelled back down that road. Will she come back? No one knows. I realize, yeah, it was only just a dre-e-e-eam!_"

The improvised chorus huddled around the bonfire almost instantly and intoned the lyrics of Nelly's 'Just A Dream' while swaying to the improvised acoustic beat Jake's talented hands provided for the occasion.

"_I was at the top and now it's like I'm the basement. Number one spot, now she find her a replacement. I swear now, I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby. And now you ain't around, baby, I can't think. I should've put it down, should've got that ring._"

Skills stood up, jumping on the log to tower over everyone else, "_'Cause I can still feel it in the air, see her pretty face, run my fingers through her hair_," he sang out, his voice louder than the crowd's as he took his solo, pulling Bevin up with him, wrapping an arm around her waist, "_My lover, my life, my shorty, my wife, she left me. I'm tied. 'Cause I knew that it just ain't right_!"

Everyone clapped for him, Bevin's cheering louder than everyone else, "That's how we do, baby," proclaimed Skills over the rest of the chorus singing, "That is how we do!"

"_Tryin' to get my Usher on, but I can't let it burn_!" sang Brooke and Rachel in a fit of laughter. The redhead threw an arm around her brunette best friend's shoulders, still laughing as they carried on with the rest of the group, "_And I just hopes she know that she the only one I yearn for –More and more I miss her, when will I learn? Didn't give her all my love, I guess now I got my payback_!"

Clay walked towards them wearing only his _L.L. Bean_ knot-print trunks –they'd been wondering why he wasn't freezing his ass off yet. He had a red beer-filled plastic cup in each of his hands and one he held in his mouth with his teeth. Brooke smirked at the sight, grabbing the cup out of his mouth and taking it for herself. Clay handed one cup to Rachel, "Thank you, gorgeous,"

"You're welcome," replied Clay, throwing his free arm around the redhead's waist and pulling her against his chest.

Brooke took that as her cur to leave, and walked over to the grill were Owen was flipping a few dogs and burgers. "Didn't know you could grill, O."

"Well, as a general rule I can't. I barely manage to not burn anything." Said Owen with a grin, "Linds is managing the grill, she just went to the truck for a sec and I took over."

As if invoked, Lindsay James walked towards them, dark blonde hair waving in the evening breeze, "Owen Morello, step away from the food." She warned mock-playfully, "Last time I let you handle the cooking you burned the freaking roof. And don't deny it, the char marks are still on the roof above the stove in the Sig kitchen."

Brooke grinned when Owen effortlessly surrendered the spatula, "Look who's all Lindsay-James whipped." She said, "That's good. It's nice to see you two together."

"Thanks, B," replied Lindsay, her arms circling Owen's chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, dropping a kiss on her temple, "He's definitely a keeper."

Owen smirked, "Me, on the other hand, I'm just taking abuse from her all the time –my cooking skills–"

"–are as good as mine," cut in Brooke, "Which means they're pretty much inexistent. Come on, O," she turned to the blonde with a grin, "I'll take him off your hands, Linds. Let you finish up here."

Owen laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder as they walked down the beach, "I feel betrayed right now, B. I took you under my wing. You're supposed to side with me!"

"Yes. But I'm hungry, so I'm siding with whoever knows how to cook." Replied Brooke as she looked around.

The salty night air was also laded with romance. Couples crowded together around Jake to listen to whatever melody he thought fit to fill the atmosphere. Rachel pulled Clay up and he skillfully twirled her around and they swayed along to the beat playfully. And Skills cuddling up to Bevin under a blanket by the fire. Even Peyton Scott was getting her romance on. By the shore, Matt Saracen continued to awkwardly tickle her, pulling into his arms, against his chest.

A whisper escaped the brunette's luscious red lips, "They all look so happy."

"Y'know, I remember a time not so long ago when you used to be happy, too." Stated Owen matter-of-factly.

Brooke licked her chapped lips, taking a second to pick out her words carefully, "I _really_ care about Luke. And I know when it came to our relationship I messed up a lot, but that doesn't change the fact that…" she shook her head, "I just really miss him, is all."

"You care about him," Owen repeated, rubbing the back of his head, "…but you don't love him?"

"I-I…" Brooke stuttered, looking down at her bare feet and fiddling with the strap of the flip-flops in her hand, "honestly don't know."

"Well, I honestly think you need to know, B. Davis," said Owen, giving her his patented protective-big-brother look, "'Cause it's been a while since I've seen a real smile reach up all the way to your eyes, and as your unofficial big brother, I'd like to see you happy again."

"I know."

A few minutes later, the usual crowd was sitting down gathered around the bonfire. Nate had arrived bearing bottle of Grey Goose and he and Duke had set out to mix drinks for everyone. It was sometime after midnight and Jake had put away his guitar, and passed down the performing duties to Matt Saracen.

"_And I don't know if I will ever find a perfect way to tell you why when every time I try_," sang Matt as he strummed his own guitar dexterously enough to gather a few adoring girl around him, "_I'm right back at the first date and the first kiss that couldn't wait 'cause every moment meant so much I couldn't let it pass. I'm right back where I first stood when I first knew that I would always love you, and you know I've never looked back_."

Haley cuddled up closer to Jake as he wrapped his arms tighter around her, one hand rubbing circles on her stomach. The honey-blonde's smile was beaming as she leaned forward to peck her husband's lips affectionately, "_And every time I try to tell you how I feel, I feel like that_." they sang out together, their voices in perfect harmony.

Brooke dug her toes deeper into the cool, white sand gulping down the remnants of the drink in her plastic cup. Then, through the thick and salty night air, over the raising flames of the still-raging bonfire and despite every other person huddled around for contact and warmth, navy-blue eyes met with hazel ones. What they had was stronger than any force, it was beyond a magnetic pull, and even when they didn't want it, they were drawn to each other. It was _primal_.

The brooder's features lit up at the sight when the cheery brunette smiled the second their eyes met. Under the full moon on such a starry night, she looked even more beautiful than usual –like she sparkled– and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and touch her and feel her warmth of her body close to his.

He looked away, averting hypnotizing hazel eyes that were sure to enchant him into anything, and walked away towards the shore.

_Crash. Crash. Crash_.

Luke let the silvery waves dash against his bare feet again and again, feeling the rush of the tide collapse against his legs. He pulled his sleeveless Duke t-shirt over his head and tossed to the sand, remaining in only his _Warriors of Radness_ plaid swim trunks, and throwing his head, closing his eyes, and letting the cold breeze hit his body.

Brooke approached him quietly, discarding the sarong that hung loosely on her waist and joining him in the water, "I bought you that bathing suit, remember?"

"Freshman spring break. I'd left mine at home." Luke answered, staring into the horizon, "I remember." He remembered everything.

Brooke walked over closer to him, arms at her sides, the palms of her hand nearly touching the palms of his hands, close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her face, "_Lucas_." it came out like a pleading whisper.

Luke's strong hand cupped her cheek lovingly as navy-blue eyes seemed to be piercing into her. Like when he held her before, she felt weak in his arms.

"I…" Brooke's voice sounded small and raspier than ever. Heavy lids fluttered closed to push back tears as she buried her head into the warmth of Luke's broad chest.

"No more 'just tonights', Brooke. No more 'just one more time'. It's all or nothing. And I don't want you to do this when you're halfway to being drunk off your ass and charmed by all the couples snuggling by the fire." Luke said, brushed some chocolate locks off her face, "Not like this. It's gotta be real. This time, I need it to be real." Chapped lips kissed the top of her head warmly before he walked away, picking up his shirt off the sand and disappearing towards the crowd.

Hazel eyes clouded over with tears as the brunette willed herself not to cry. "I…" all her resolve melting away, she wanted to sit down and breathe and stop and _not_ feel like this and more than anything she wanted to just _know_, if only for a minute.

_It shouldn't be this hard_.


	31. For You, And Your Denial

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_For You, And Your Denial_

-xx-

**Monday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Rachel's dainty hands fiddled with the cap on the bottle of Coke over the kitchen island. Finally, she angled it against the counter and popped it open, foam spilling out over manicured hands as she poured it into the vanilla ice cream filled glasses. "Floats are done!" she happily declared, carrying the three glasses over to the living room.

Haley worriedly eyed the mess the redhead had left behind in the kitchen from her spot on the couch. Brooke patted her thigh reassuringly, "We'll clean it up, Tutor Wife/Soon-To-Be-Mom." She said, "Don't worry about it."

The honey-blonde offered her a grateful smile before digging into the ice cream float –it was _good_. Rachel laughed, putting her bare feet up on the coffee table and grabbing a magazine.

It was their turn to have some girl-time. They'd heard about the guys going to The Rat and golfing from Nate, and they figured it was about time they had some bonding time –they all hadn't really hung out together since Rachel and Brooke had moved out.

"Um, hey, Hales," started Brooke, "how'd you know Jake was, like…_the one_?"

Haley raised an eyebrow, "Well, when he knocked me up I figured we might as well give the whole marriage thing a try, why?" she quipped, and Rachel high-fived her with a grin.

"Seriously, though, um, you've been together a long time…there'd have to have been other guys and you couldn't have always been this sure." The brunette said, "So, how'd you know?"

Haley did her whole tucking-her-hair-behind-her-ears thing, "I just knew. Jake's…_my guy_. He's seen me at my best and at my worst, and he still wants me. We've seen each other through gain and loss, beginnings and ends, and we've been there for each other start to finish. I know I can tell him whatever and he'll still be there. And that doesn't mean I just magically and automatically love him –there's no on/off switch. Everyday we chose to be together and to make it work, deal with whatever comes our way _together_."

"Luke said he loves me." Brooke said, staring at no one on particular, "I didn't say it back."

Rachel's eyes widened, "Fucking hell!" she said, surprised, "Is that why you've been weird? Why didn't you tell me?"

Haley sighed, "Wait –why didn't you say it back?"

"'Cause I can't. Because if I tell him I love him, when it ends it'll _hurt_." Brooke said, tears forming behind her eyes like a damn about to explode, threatening to cloud her vision and overtake her senses. "I'm afraid it'll _break me_." she leaned down, resting her head on the redhead's lap. Rachel's hands ran soothingly through her best friend's chocolate locks of hair –for once, she had no snappy comeback or any wise insight to offer.

"Why are you so _scared_ of love, Brooke?" Haley cut her eyes to the redhead, "You, too. _Why_? Loving someone, in any way, and telling them is a wonderful feeling. I love you, Brooke –you started out as my roommate, and you grew into my best friend, my _sister_. I'd never had a girlfriend to talk to like that before. I had Luke, and he's not that good at the girl talk. And I love you, too, Rachel. You came in, a red hurricane, and you were already Brooke's sister, that was enough to make you family. You had my back and you've been there for me. Both of you have. No turning away. That's love –through the good and the bad, no matter what, you always come back."

Brooke shook her head, "That's _us_. It's not the same. Luke…he's _in_ love with me. And we're a mess. Before, we were a mess. Okay? He's _right_, I'm not ready. We're not you and Jake, Hales. We're not made to last –I'm not _built_ that way."

"That's Jake and I _now_. Before," the honey-blonde chuckled, "Before, we used to be sort of…_Brucas-like_." The brunette stared at her skeptically, "Okay, you know that little scar Jay has right here" –she pointed to the upper right corner of her own forehead– "well, he got it when I, um, threw a plate at his head."

Rachel raised an eyebrow in interest, "Seriously?" she said, "Who knew the kitty had claws?"

Widened hazel-green eyes bore into Haley's head, demanding something more –demanding some answer that her brunette best friend desperately needed. "Look, I won't lie, I was most definitely not like you, B. Even through the plate-throwing I was well aware of the fact that I loved him. It was actually kinda funny because he had to get, like, four stitches and I was with him at the hospital –kept apologizing, telling him I figured he'd duck and avoid the plate– point is, yeah, sometimes it starts out dysfunctional. So what? You toughen up, you get your act together, you grow out of that phase –Jake and I did. Hiding from your feelings won't get you anywhere."

The brunette's eyes darted towards the floor, focusing on black-painted toenails, "I wrote him letters." She whispered, "When we were away in Paris, I wrote letters to him. I never sent them."

Haley awed her oh-that's-so-cute aw. Rachel just stared straight ahead with a pensive pout. The honey-blonde nudged her, "Oh, sorry," she said, snapping out of it, "I'm just trying to figure out what movie Brooke's disappeared into –is the letter writing exclusively a _Notebook_ thing, or can it be _Dear John_ type of thing?"

Brooke pelted a cushion at her friend's head while Haley scolded the redhead, demanding that she be sensitive. "_So-rry_! Just though I could cut the tension. This was getting way too heavy." Explained Rachel, "Okay, look, I can't…sugarcoat it like Hales. I'm more of a numbers-and-logic kind of girl –you like poker, right? Well, it's simple logic: to win big you gotta be willing to bet big. You can hold on to your fear and get nothing or you can take the risk and maybe get everything. Either way, you gotta make a choice. In my experience, you've always been a gambler." She took hold of the brunette's chin between her thumb and index fingers, locking eyes with her, "And you do have a tendency for beating all the odds and taking the whole pot."

The brunette grabbed the glass that contained the remnant of her melted ice cream float, "God…I _really_ wish Haley could drink right now." Her two best friends burst out laughing, pulling her into a tight hug, and for a second it all seemed to be okay.

Deep down, she knew Rachel was right, though. She had to make a choice.

Luke wouldn't wait forever.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Cameron Indoor Stadium  
Duke Gym**

The deafening cheers emanating from the masses of people occupying the bleachers overpowered the commentator and the notorious Blue Devils' Cheer Squad. The stands literally shook up and vibrated as adulating fans jumped up, stomped their feet, and clapped loudly for the teams battling it out on the court.

The game was beyond sold-out –the tent city outside the stadium, 'Krzyzewskiville', was full with the fans who couldn't manage to buy or scalp tickets in time. Buzzing and static filled the air as tense hands fiddled with antennas and battery radios, no one wanting to miss a second of the action.

Inside, Clay and Haley settled in, enjoying the courtside seats (benefits of marrying a player and having a best friend in the team). The honey-blonde shook a pom-pom enthusiastically, screaming her lungs out: "C'mon, Number 17! Go Jake!"

Clay threw his head back, downing some Crackerjack right off the box, "Hubby better bring it, MILF," he cut his eyes to Haley, "'Cause I got a lot of money ridding on this thing."

Haley's hand swatted him upside the head harshly, "Shut up, Clay!" she ordered, sitting on the edge of her seat, "This is the freaking championship game. And my hubby _knows_ how to bring it."

The cheerleaders continued their routine on the sidelines, pom-poms waved flawlessly. Loud intonations of: '_Fight_! _Blue Devils, Fight_! _Blue And White_!' resonated not only from them, but from the multitude of fans huddled up on the bleachers. The clock continued winding down, under 20 seconds left, neither Duke nor Butler managing a solid lead. Blue Devils trailed by 1.

Cheer squad lined up courtside, Brooke standing between Rachel and Bevin, all gripping hands tightly. Expectant eyes watched the finals seconds of the game. A few moments of silence, the commentator's voice resonating throughout the speakers.

_Irving to inbounds_. _Releases it to Skills Taylor out top_.

Bevin jumped up and down, loud piercing shrieks: 'C'mon, Skills! Fight through 'em!' cheering overenthusiastically for her man, like she did at every game.

Rachel, too, was loudly shouting for Nate: '23, look alive! Keep those hands up, Moody!'

_Taylor making his way down the court –oh! dumps it down to Lucas Scott_.

Hazel pupils dilated at the sight, dainty hand cupped around lush lips: 'Take the shot, Broody!' she shouted at the top of her lungs. Yeah, it felt a little weird that those were the first words she'd said to him since the bonfire, but fuck it.

_Scott's double-teamed, but he takes the shot –ooh, it's off the back of the rim_! _Jake Jaglieski with the rebound, less than five seconds on the clock_.

Haley jumped to her feet, dragging Clay up with her. Tiny hands squeezed the brunette's muscled arm roughly as sharp nails dug into his taut skin. He grimaced as the honey-blonde shouted: "Go, Jake!"

_Now under five seconds on the clock. Jaglieski finds Nathan Scott at the three-point line. This one's for the Championship –incredible_! _Nathan Scott with the three-pointer at the buzzer. The Blue Devils are the 2011 NCAA Champions_!

The cheer and applause from the crowd drowned out the sound of the final buzzer. Most of the guys on the team hoisted Nate and Luke up on their shoulders. Confetti rained down from the gym's roof as cheerleaders tossed their pom-poms in the air. Bevin settled comfortably into Skills arms right in the middle of the court, kissing his lips repeatedly.

Jake ran towards the bleachers, engulfing Haley in a tight hug and pulling her up into a passionate kiss. Next to them, Rachel jumped on Clay, wrapping her legs around his waist. His expert hands tangled up in her fiery crimson locks as he crashed his lips against hers.

The Brooder found himself lost in the crowd that suddenly encircled him. Multiple congratulating pats on the back and high-fives surrounded him among the constant burr of noise. There was plenty of uproar, of course, and he staggered to the side amidst a sea of bodies knocking into one of the guys from the team. "Way to handle the ball, 3!" the guy said. There was a constant shouting of adulation –some of it directed at him, no doubt, so he smirked the Scott-smirk proudly as he attempted to maneuver his way out of the horde.

Meanwhile, the petite brunette elbowed her way through the flustered crowd. When she finally spotted that adorable golden head and met those irresistible, glittering navy-blue eyes, she automatically jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Luke shook his head, wrapping his hands around her waist –he'd let himself have this moment because he couldn't celebrate this with anyone but her. (He didn't want to celebrate this moment without her, he couldn't really celebrate anything without her.) "Played a hell of a game, Scott," she declared with a dimpled smile.

"You expect anything less?" he replied, cocky frat-boy grin spread across his face.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Wipe the obnoxious grin off your face," she said, playfully messing up his hair. "You're not all that."

"On the contrary, babe," Luke replied with a smirk, "I'm an NCAA champ two years running. I'm all that and more." Then he set her down easily, and smiled.

Bevin popped up behind her, "B! We're heading to Al's. You coming?" Skills appeared seconds later, eyeing his best friend and the girl who had him all twisted up, "Yo, shorty, c'mon, baby, we rollin' out," he said, circling an arm around his girlfriend's waist, "Luke and B will join up when they ready." He jutted his chin out towards the brooding blonde, "G'luck with that. See ya 'round, dawg."

"Luke–"

A hand tugged the brooder's jersey, "C'mon, Scott!" shouted Anderson, "We're heading out, dude."

Hazel-green eyes watched as the lanky blonde was pulled back into the horde of people huddled up near the entrance to the locker room, "Yeah. I'll see ya later, Luke." Brooke said with a wave, before disappearing in the other direction.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Al's Backyard**

Al's was filled to capacity –line a mile long to get it, bodies pressed against bodies whether it be at the bar or on the dance floor. Large inflatable basketballs were being tossed around, the whole team was camped out around Al –basketball players drank for free tonight, it seemed they were going to drink Al broke.

Jake had managed to snag a table for them and they were waiting for Clay to come back with drinks. Plenty of random dudes kept approaching Jake, congratulating and high-fiving him. Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Okay, even I don't know that guy. Who was that?"

"I've no idea." Jake shrugged, throwing an arm around Haley's shoulder. "Everyone always seems to know me right after a big win, though."

Haley grinned, "My hubby's very popular and recognized throughout the whole campus, Tigger." She said with a mock-serious tone, kissing his lip playfully.

"Drinks are on the big man on campus, then," declared Clay, grabbing an empty stool next to Rachel and sliding everyone their drinks. "And cranberry _without_ the vodka for the MILF." (Haley now chose to simply ignore the annoying nickname.)

The small talk continued, the rumors about Owen passing on declaring for the draft early were rampant even while the details about tonight's game were exchanged. Digital cameras were being passed down from table to table, everyone taking pictures of everyone and everything without bothering to find the owners.

Curious eyes watched as Nate held court near one of the pool tables across the bar. (He'd made the game-winning shot and he was planning to celebrate all night long.) Haley furrowed her brow, "Who's that girl with Nate?" she asked, "I don't think I've ever seen her around before."

Rachel shrugged a shoulder, "That's the Lancer chick –Alice Verdura. He picked her up there last week and she wouldn't sleep with him so, naturally, he's fascinated by her." she said, "I think he's gonna use his whole I-won-the-game-for-you-baby speech to get laid. Thinks he's such a player."

Clay's cobalt-blue eyes travelled away from Rachel's ass long enough to recognize the aforementioned girl, "Yeah, well, player's about to get played," he said, his hands roaming the back pockets of the redhead's jeans, "Alice won't fall for that crap. Tim's been trying to get her for two weeks now, and keeps coming up empty."

They all laughed, then Imogen Heap's '_Goodnight & Go_' started playing throughout the speakers. "Ooh!" squealed Brooke with a smile, "I love this song!" she declared, pouting at Haley, "Can I please borrow Jay-Jay for a dance?"

Haley grinned, "Only if you promise to return him in his original pristine condition."

"That's sweet, babe," Jake jumped off his stool, dropping a kiss on his wife's cheek, "But we both know I've never really been pristine. I appreciate the compliment, though," He said, grabbing Brooke's hands and following her towards the dance floor, "Take it easy on me, B, I kinda have two left feet."

Brooke grinned, "Even better. I'll lead." To which Jake muttered an: "Of course you will."

_Why'd you have to be so cute?  
It's impossible to ignore you.  
Must you make me laugh so much?  
It's bad enough we get along so well.  
Say goodnight and go._

Jake spun her out and back into his arms, laughing. Brooke grinned once more, "Aah, look who's got some hidden moves." She joked, arms in the air, her hips working beneath her skirt, shaking in time with the beat. Jake realized he was mostly there to twirl her around every few beats (when the music started coursing through Brooke, she didn't need anyone else –the notes enveloped her and pulsated through her and everyone could feel it passing throughout her petite body), and he noticed his blonde best friend watching them (_her_) intently. He waved at him once before twirling the brunette once more.

Luke only tilted his beer bottle towards him slightly in recognition before downing the whole thing. He held back the smile over the fact that she was dancing with Jay instead of some other random guy –they were all busy pretending not to be leering at her, it was kind of impossible not to (because, _yeah_, she was _that_ fucking enticing), she radiated an energy that somehow seemed to be pulling you in.

Next to them were Rachel and Clay –like most things with them, dancing was mostly foreplay. Rachel's back was pressed to Clay's chest, his lips grazing the nape of her neck; his hands running up and down her waist and swaying hips. All the while they moved flawlessly together, even the slightest motion appeared to be perfectly synchronized.

Then it turned –like a switch flicked. The atmosphere changed.

It happened fast –it was a slap, a tap. And then the brunette turned around startled, pulled out from the trance, glaring at the jackass who'd dare touch her ass without permission. "Hands off, dipstick!" she hissed almost venomously.

"The way you shakin' it, you sure as hell askin' for it, sweet cheeks." The guy had the nerve to reply. And this dude's _gotta_ be new 'cause any moron knows that you don't mess with Brooke Davis (Sigma Chi mascot (Owen Morello's unofficial baby sister), Luke Scott's (Ex) Girl, the fucking crown jewel of Duke University.)

And that was enough to set the guys off –Jake's lanky frame moved to stand in front of Brooke defensively; Clay appeared less than a second later, fists balled up, "What the fuck did you just say to her, dickwad?"

Navy-blue eyes darkened into a frightening shade. It took the brooding blonde only a second longer than the rest to shove his way over there (the dude didn't even have enough to time to answer Clay). He shouldn't be that pissed. It was only a slap, a regular asshole attempting to cop a feel, but Luke felt it in his gut –it was _his_ Brooke, it (_she_) was enough to start a fucking _brawl_. She was worth it.

So, Luke only snarled a: "_HEY_!" His toned arm swung forward connecting with the asshole's jaw –_hard_. The guy hit the floor with a thud (and if the hit were played back in slow motion, you'd be able to see his jaw move laterally with the blow).

Luke got one good kick in, then it flipped again –hands pulled him back and off the guy painfully (no fucking clue whose) and restrained him hard. "You touch her like that again and I swear to god I'll end you!" he roared, fighting the arms that continued to hold him back.

"Luke! Luke!" The Brooder recognized that raspy pitch instantly –it was Brooke. And then, "Hey! He's not worth it, okay? Let it go!" Cristal clear: Haley's patented mom tone pleaded with him, demanding that he back down.

Nate arrived last, elbowing his way through the horde that had formed around them, "The fuck?" his navy-blue eyes found Luke's –the fury in his brother's eyes needed no further explanation, "You good?" He asked, though the raven-haired Scott didn't wait for an answer –he pulled the guy up, pushed him against a tables, breaking a few glasses. The guy's face looked more like a bloody pulp than a person.

Luke finally managed to get off the hands that pulled him back. He grabbed the guy's collar, literally threw him out the front door. "Don't come 'round again." he hissed, "It won't end well."

Adrenaline still coursed through the blonde's veins, heart beating fast in his chest, music blasted in his ears, and he still wanted to hit the guy once more. It'd all to have gone down in under five minutes, but it felt as if it'd taken longer. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted when Jake pulled Haley away ('cause no fucking way was his pregnant wife getting caught up in that), and he overheard Clay arguing with Rachel that it was '_time to fuckin' go now_'. Nate was now back by Whatsername's side attempting to explain what had just happened.

Luke turned around, running a hand through his hair as he attempted to catch his breath –The brunette simply stared at him in disbelief. The Brooder only raised an eyebrow, the beginning of a smirk on his lips, "He won't bother you again."

"Oh, fuck," The voice was drained and tired –it was Al, "I knew when Charlie went to get me in the back for a fight it'd be the two of you –it's _always_ the two of you. Y'know the rules, Blondie, anyone who fights is out for the night." his eyes shifted towards Brooke, "You, too, Cheers."

"Nah, she wasn't fightin'," Luke's engaging eyes never looked away from hers –for a second everyone around just disappeared into a blur, like it used to be before. "She doesn't have to leave, Al."

Rachel popped next to Brooke, looping and arm through hers, "She actually does," she said, "We're leaving now, B. C'mon, Jay and Hales are already at the car, Clay's waiting." She tugged her friend's arm, pushing her towards the door. The redhead eyed the brooder, "Need a ride, Scott?"

"I'm good." Luke replied, his tone easy, "Brooke," he called out, the brunette turned around and stared at him expectantly, "I'll see ya around." he started to head off to grab his jacket, but this time it was her who stopped him: "Luke," she said, biting her lower lip and smiling widely, "Thank you."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Ugh, save the longing looks for later. He's gone, anyways, so he can't see you looking," she said, pushing her brunette friend towards the door and into Clay's arms, who had her jacket waiting for her, "And I'm so ready to get outta here –though I gotta say, the whole fighting-to-defend-your-honor thing? Kinda hot."

Dark chocolate locks cascaded down the side of her face to conceal her dreamy dimpled-smile from her best friend, "Shut up, Rae," she muttered, instead.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

Brooke was in a deep slumber, all wrapped up in a cocoon of sheets on the living room couch she now called bed. They'd placed at Nationals (turned out that getting first place without Haley was far more complicated than expected), and between all the practice and the actual performing of the routine had wiped her out completely. (Add in to that the fact that she still hadn't made up her mind about Luke, and that the end of the semester was nearing, therefore the time to make a choice was slowly but surely running out.) She sat up startled upon feeling something hit her in the head. "The fuck…" hazel-green eyes scanned the floor, focusing on the leather football lying next to the couch. "Ugh, I miss the times when my room used to have, like, walls and doors."

"Mornin', Davis," drawled Tim Riggins, sitting across from her on the large armchair.

The brunette attempted to rub the sleep out of her eyes, "Oh, c'mon, Riggs. It's early. I'm tired."

"Yeah, well, happy birthday, Princess," Tim stood up and kissed her on the cheek. He wore only a pair of shredded gray Adidas sweats and smelled like beer (but then again, Tim always smelled like beer). "Here ya go." He said, handing her something wrapped up in newspaper with a silly red ribbon that looked like a five-year-old had tied it. "Don't say I never gave ya anything."

Brooke smiled, "Aw, you got me something, Riggy? Wait, you actually _remembered_ my birthday?" she asked surprised, opening it and she pulled out a worn out gray hoody with a Panther's logo on one corner and the number 33 on the other. She let out a giggle –she'd been stealing that sweatshirt from him since he came to the Sigma Chi house. "Thank you, Riggs." She said, pulling him down into a half-hug.

"Don't mention it, Davis." Tim shrugged, "It ain't no big deal. Just somethin' to keep ya warm on those cold, lonely nights." He said with his usual drawl and gave her a wink.

"Of course," Brooke rolled her eyes.

Tim hummed, "Mm, your cards and shit are on the table. See ya 'round, Davis."

"Thanks," Brooke muttered, then she flopped back down to the couch and began sorting through her birthday mail. Two cards from her parents (or rather her parents' _secretaries_) –with checks, of course. Cards from her conscientious aunts and uncles. A card from Rachel's mother of all people.

Then there was Junior's usual birthday package (the three Cs: condoms, chocolates and Cuervo). As if on cue, her Blackberry rang. Her dainty hands scavenged between the couch cushions and pulled it out, answering it absentmindedly. "Hello,"

"Yo, bitch. Sorry I haven't called in a while." Brooke automatically smiled at the familiar voice. "Happy birthday, sis."

"Thanks, Junior," replied Brooke with a smile, it'd been a while since they'd talked and if Junior Davis had once specialty in life, it was making his baby sister laugh.

"Hey," said Junior in his usual smooth voice, "You in the Sig House? I mean, that's still your current address, right?"

Brooke instantly recognized that tone, "_Why_?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just step outside before you miss your present." Demanded Junior.

"Are you _here_?"

Junior sighed, "No, I'm sorry, sis," he said, "I've got a bunch of papers due this week. And you know Daddy Dearest, he wants me at Graduation this year and not just sitting in the audience."

Brooke most definitely got it –not like she'd ever experienced it firsthand since her parents reserved their expectations for Junior and their disappointments for her, but still...parental expectations were a bitch, either way. She jogged outside, curiosity now getting the best of her. There was nothing there. "Look _up_." singsonged Junior.

Brooke tipped her head back, morning sunlight lighting up her delicate porcelain features, and stared up at the clear-blue sky. A small plane flew noisily by, leaving behind a trail of smoke in its wake. Brooke squinted when she realized the smoke was spelling something –skywriting. 'H-A-P-P-Y-T-W-E-N-T-I-E-T-H!' it read. "How very _Wizard of Oz_ of you."

Junior chuckled good-naturedly, "I lifted Daddy's little black AmEx on my last visit home. Wanted to get something big for your twentieth –you're no longer a teen, you know. Pretty soon you'll have to mature and all that shit. Trust me, though, it's all overrated, anyway."

Brooke furrowed her brow, "You ever been in love, Junior?"

"Yes." His answer was automatic and his tone was earnest, not like when he was making one of his lewd jokes. As usual, though, Junior said nothing else. He'd never been one to elaborate willingly.

"Did it work out?" Just like Brooke had never been one to push.

"No." answered Junior, failing miserably to hide the lump forming in his throat, "We were seventeen. We wanted different things... And contrary to what John Lennon says, you do need more than love." He said, attempting to shrug it off, "But I don't regret it."

"_Why_?" Brooke asked, "You're not together. So, why was it worth it?"

"Because I loved her. And it might not have been a permanent, be-together-forever kind of thing, but it was amazing while it lasted. We were happy. _I_ was happy. And I make it a rule to never regret the things that made me happy."

"But it didn't work out. You didn't end up together." The brunette insisted.

Junior smirked, "I'm twenty-three, B. So is she. We're both still here, there's still a chance we'll work it out." He said, "Or, y'know, maybe we won't. There's no way to know. What I _do_ know is, it's far from over. And why are you asking me this stuff, B? It's _really_ not like you."

Brooke just couldn't get it. And she couldn't talk to Rachel or Clay about it because they probably didn't get it, either. She thought about talking to Haley again, but Haley didn't operate like her –didn't think like her. "Because you're me." Junior did, he understood her in a different way.

"Alright, I see where this is goin'," Junior said, "Time for Junior's Sage & Wise Inspirational Message of the day –Look, B, real life is hard. Real stuff takes work. Real life is sometimes thoughtless and mean. But that doesn't cancel out the good stuff. And love…well, sometimes it hurts. But it's intense and, when it's the real thing, it's worth it."

Brooke licked her chapped lips, "There's a guy. He's…infuriating. We always fight. And we dated, but…then we broke up. But then we slept together again and I miss him all the fucking time and I told him we should try dating again because we just keep falling into each other. Then he told me he loves me." she paused, knitting her perfectly manicured fingers together in her lap. "…he loves me."

Junior Davis was well aware of the charms his younger sister exuded to everyone she came in contact with –she liked every boy she'd ever met, and every boy loved her, or at least they _wanted_ her. It was impossible not to. But he knew she deserved –_needed_– more than guys lusting after her. He wanted his baby sister to get the rare sort of love –_true_ love. The kind of love he knew she'd never seen before; never _had_ before.

"I'm just scared of what happens if I let him in," Brooke continued, her cell phone pinned between her cheek and her shoulder, "If after he has me, he just stops wanting me. 'Cause why would he want a mess like me? Ugh, maybe I'm just wasting my time. It's not like Lucas Scott and I are meant to be or something trite like that."

"Hey," Junior cut in, "Spare me that crap, B. Y'know fate's for losers. It's just a shit excuse for letting things happen to you instead of getting your balls and making 'em happen." It was a perfect Juniorism. Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes at the words. "Seriously, though. You see the problem –you're scared. But it's up to you to choose –to make the right choice, to try to be happy and try to be loved. Without drama and without hurting anyone."

"Well…yeah," Brooke replied, "but _how_ do I do that?"

"Brooke, I'm telling you it's time to grow the hell up." Junior said, his tone more stern than she had ever heard coming from him before. "Okay?"

The brunette forcefully swallowed down the lump that had begun forming in her throat. "Okay. You're right." she said. _One way or another, I've got to chose_.

"I'm always right. That's why I'm so hard to get a hold of." He said. "There's a _huge_ demand for people like me."

"I miss you." Brooke told him, throwing her hair back into a messy bun atop her head.

"Well, I miss you, too, sis," Junior said.

A loud shriek and chuckles came from the stairs, and Brooke instantly recognized as Rachel and Clay hurrying down to wish her a happy birthday. "I've gotta go, Junior." Brooke said, "Love you."

"Love ya more, Goober," replied Junior, "Bye." He said before clicking off.

Brooke tossed the phone back into the open duffel lying next to the couch just as they arrived. Rachel was piggybacking Clay –one arm draped across his broad chest, the other holding a chocolate cupcake with a single candle in it. "Ha-a-a-a-appy Bi-r-r-r-rthda-a-a-ay, Dear Brooke!" they harmonized, completely out of key. Clay pulled a lighter from the pocket of his Under Armour shorts and lighting the candle easily. "Ha-a-a-a-appy Bi-r-r-r-rthda-a-a-ay to you-u-u-u-u-u-u!"

Rachel tapped Clay's chest, indicating him to set her down. They both sat down at either side of the brunette, "Make a wish, slut," indicated the redhead.

Thick eyelashes fluttered closed as naturally red lips pursed, a single puff of air blowing out the small candle. "Thanks, whore," replied Brooke, nudging Rachel playfully.

"And what am I, painted on the wall?" demanded Clay, mock-hurt tone and full blown pout, "I mean, I sprung for the candle, Dimples."

Brooke chuckled, grabbing his chin and dropping an affectionate kiss on his scruffy cheek, "Never, Clay," she declared with a dimpled smile, "You're always my number one boyfriend."

Clay flashed her million-dollar, lopsided grin, "Aaw, you're still number one girl, too, Dimples," Rachel's dainty hand gripped his chestnut locks of hair, tugging harshly, "Ouch! Dammit, Red! I meant one and a half, B." he amended, cutting his eyes towards the redhead, "And, babe, please, save the kink for the sheets," he rubbed his head, "or at least for the nudity... _Damn_."

Brooke and Rachel giggled wickedly, high-fiving each other with a wink. Gifts came next. Clay got her her very own pair of sailboat boxers (so you can stop stealing mine, bitch.) and Rachel got her a Kindle ('cause I'm fucking tired of stubbing my toes on the mountains of books you keep pilling up around here.).

"Got one more present, though," added Clay, "Here ya go."

A perfectly groomed chocolate eyebrow raised in curiosity, "You…got me _keys_?"

"Actually, I got Raoul to drive down Dad's shiny new Escalade. We're starting Spring Break early and in style, Dimples. Plus, I got us the penthouse 'cause this year we're doing Spring Break in style."

Rachel smirked, grabbing the keys out of the brunette's hands, "And I'm driving."

Both Clay and the redhead offered her expectant looks. Brooke finally grinned, "I'm in." She turned to Rachel, "We gotta pack."

Clay smirked, "Awesome. And Red just throw in a skimpy bikini," he said, pulling the redhead onto his lap, "–we can be naked whenever we're not at the beach."

"Ugh, spare me," Brooke slammed one of her pillows against their heads, "I am not sharing a room with you two if I'm gonna have to wake up to find you naked together."

Rachel smirked, "Don't be a prude."

"Yeah, Dimples," Clay tickled her sides, causing her to let out a high-pitched giggle, "Nobody likes a party pooper."

Clay and Rachel flashed her near-identical mischievous smirks –she figured that Rachel must've told Clay about the whole Luke-thing, because those two seemed to be telling each other everything lately, and that this was their attempt at cheering her up. So, Brooke flashed them one of her patented dimpled-smiles in reply.

"Myrtle Beach, here we come."


	32. Words I Couldn't Say

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN: So. This chapter is beyond late and mostly filler and all around crappy. I lacked inspiration and got attacked by a major case of writer's block. I'm **_**really**_** sorry, dudes. Here's hoping someone still reading this…**

_**The Rules Of Attraction**_

_Words I Couldn't Say  
(You Won't Remember Tomorrow)_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

Nate, as usual, was the last one down. He jogged towards them, "Morning!" he greeted with a smirk, leaning down to drop a kiss on the brunette's cheek, "Happy birthday, Sugarpop! How's it feel–the big 2-0?" he asked, handing her a birthday card.

"About the same as being nineteen," replied Brooke, opening the card (a silly Garfield cartoon and an Amazon gift-card). "Thanks, Natie."

The raven-haired Scott shrugged a shoulder, "So you can buy all the digital books your pretty little heart desires," he replied, flopping down on the armchair across from them, "So, what're the plans for today?"

Rachel tossed him the Escalade's keys. "You got B a car?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "Way to outshine the rest of us, dude."

"Nah," said Clay, "We…borrowed it. Spring Break starts today–like, _now_, you in, man?"

Nate rubbed the back of his head, "Can't do," He said, "I gotta email a paper to Peterson by tonight. Plus, I can't miss the traditional Sigma Chi spring break pilgrimage. It is a sacred tradition. C'mon, remember last year? When Bear mooned those state troopers?" he and Clay did the dude-fisty-bump thing, "I talked O into getting us all out of here first thing tomorrow morning. I'll most definitely catch up, though." 

Brooke and Rachel gave him a thumbs down, "It won't be the same without you, Natie," the brunette shrugged a shoulder, "Promise to get there early?"

"B," Nate said seriously, "Scantily dressed and horny girls, wet T-shirts contest every sundown, and all you can drink beer for five dollars. I'll be there with bells on. The whole point of college _is_ Spring Break."

Clay flashed them a lopsided grin, "True that!" he exclaimed, pulling Brooke and Rachel to their feet, "C'mon, you two, get packing 'cause we're outta here _now_."

The brunette and redhead exchanged looks, "All our summer/spring break stuff's back at the Jaley apartment. We need to go get it." Explained Rachel, "How 'bout you? You packed already?"

"I'm _me_," replied Clay, "Throw in some board shorts and a few shirts and I'm good –plus, y'know, my clean underwear and my tooth brush. I'm done." They all said goodbye to Nate and the rest of the guys took turns hugging Brooke happy birthday and demanding her to save them a dance at the beach before the threesome headed off to the Jaley apartment to get the girls' stuff.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Haley and Jake were having a typical Sunday morning in –Jay was sitting on the couch, one foot up on the table, engrossed in a game on _NBA Live_ on his PS3; Haley was browsing the paper, her feet resting on Jake's lap.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Rachel and Brooke walked in, each with an empty backpack hanging on their shoulders. "Morning, Jaley," greeted the redhead with her usual wicked grin, "Don't worry, we'll be outta here soon."

Haley stood up, following the pair into the brunette's former room. Jake didn't even sigh –this was the norm: the Twisted Sisters walked in randomly for a usually unpredictable reason. It was probably better not to meddle. "Whoa! Hey, what're you two doing here? It's, like, 9:30am." Asked the honey-blonde. "And, happy birthday, Tigger!" she added, pulling the brunette in for a hug, "Your cards and stuff are in the living room."

"Thanks, Hales. We're packing." Replied Brooke with a smile, "Spring Break starts today!"

Jake popped in, "No, it doesn't," he declared, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe, "We don't get off on Tuesday, Cookie."

"Yeah, but it's Brookie's 20th." Said Rachel, "It's kind of a big deal. Me and Clay got a car to start vacation early."

Haley frowned, "No!" she protested, "No! This is our last spring break together. We're supposed to go down together and get the adjoining rooms!"

"Actually, we got two more, Hales," said Brooke, pulling her bikinis out a box labeled 'beach stuff', "C'mon, chill –we'll still have plenty of time to hang out."

"No!" the honey-blonde shrieked again, tears welling up in her eyes, "No, we don't –_you two_ do. But by this time next year we're gonna have a daughter, and we can't exactly take a newborn down to Myrtle Beach, can we?" Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head soothingly.

Brooke and Rachel exchanged worried looks. "She's off her lid," muttered the redhead through a tight smile, "Is that, like, pregnancy hormones?" The brunette merely shrugged an I-don't-know shrug.

"Babe, c'mon, we talked about this last week," started Jake, rubbing her arm comfortingly, "You said you didn't want to go down to for spring break 'cause you'd feel like a beached whale, anyways." At hearing that Haley let out a loud sob.

"Jesus, Jay!" said Rachel, slapping him upside the head as she and Brooke pulled the honey-blonde into a hug, "You don't say that to a _pregnant_ woman –scratch that, you don't say that to _any_ woman!"

Brooke patted Haley's back, "It's okay, sweetie," she said, "Jay didn't mean it like that. He was…trying to be comforting in his own misguided, completely _wrong_ way. Besides, look at it this way, you _hated_ last spring break."

"Yes, but that was before I realized I'd never have another one again!" she said between piercing sobs, "And now I'm fat…like a beached whale! –I don't fit into any of my old clothes, I throw up every morning at eight like clockwork, I'm growing larger by the second, and the more pregnancy books I read, the more I realize just how it's going to _hurt_ to push it out!" she yelped, "…and now I don't even get one last spring break! All I wanted was an entire week on the beach with our best friends. Is that too much to ask?"

Brooke licked her lips, "Um, no, no, wait, no it's not," she said, throwing an arm around her pregnant friend's shoulders, "We'll get our week on the beach. We have a big-ass car, plenty of room for two more. Just…pack light, 'cause we're leaving in an hour."

"Oh!" Haley squealed, wrapping her arms around her best friend tightly, "That's so sweet! You're such a wonderful friend!"

Jake rubbed the back of his head, "Um, I was actually thinking of picking up a few extra shifts at work," he said, "We could really use the extra cash right now." Haley flashed him a very scary look. Rachel ran her index finger across his neck swiftly, indicating him to kill the protesting, "But it is our last break," he amended, "And you're right, babe, we'll have fun." Haley ran into his arms and hugged him, "There we go," said Jake, hugging her back with a grin.

Haley let out an excited squeal, "Yay!" she clapped, "I'm gonna go pack our bags."

Once she was out of the room and closed the door, Jake ran his fingers through his hair, "We don't even have a hotel reservation," he sighed, "_And_ we're low on cash. We're screwed."

Rachel threw an arm around his shoulder, "Relax, Jay," she said easily, "We're getting there early, so we'll just bribe someone at the hotel to get you guys a room. Reservation's on us…or rather on Dad's AmEx. 'Sides you're not drinking, that right there will save you a shitload of money. She's right, though. This is kinda her last big hurray. We should let her have it."

"Chill, Jay-Jay," said Brooke, dropping a kiss on his cheek, "This spring break's on us. We'll make sure Hales has a good time."

Jake grinned, pulling them both into a hug, "Y'know, people ask all the time if you two –plus Clay– are worth all the trouble," he said, "You kinda are, 'cause you're kinda awesome." He grinned.

"We'll take that as a compliment."

Rachel winked, "Yeah," she said, pushing him out of the room, "Now help wifey pack, chop-chop. Clay's waiting downstairs and we're double-parked."

The best friends threw the rest of the stuff into their backpacks, finally changing into their bikinis and topping them off with a pair of short-shorts. "This is starting out pretty good: talked Haley off a ledge," said Rachel, plopping down on the couch, "packed light, effectively leaving both our literal and emotional baggage behind. Besides, this is our first official spring break together. Ready to cause a little mayhem?"

Brooke smirked, "Always, Rae, you know that."

"That's the great thing about Spring Break –it's like Christmas." Explained Rachel, matter-of-factly, "Only instead of toys, we get all new boys to play with."

Brooke raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Please, we both now there's only one boy you've been playing with lately. I know you, and something tells me you're not ready to…_switch toys_ yet."

"At least I'm playing with _someone_, B," replied the redhead, "When was the last time you had a new toy?" Brooke looked down at her flip-flop-clad feet, "That's what I thought. Maybe it's time to get back in the game."

Brooke remembered perfectly, if not a little hazily, her last…_night playing_. It'd been Nate. Hazel eyes scanned the room awkwardly. A new picture grazing the living room table caught the brunette's eye. It was of the wedding. Haley stood in front of Jake leaning back into his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist, both with the widest smiles anyone had ever seen on them. Next to them was the wedding party –Clay with his arm thrown lazily around Peyton's shoulders (which just looked weird, so thank god _that_ ended), Rachel with her arms around Alexander's neck while they both grinned goofily for the picture, Lindsay and Sam, his hands placed on her hips (both looking model-like and ridiculously tall). Then there were Brooke and Luke. He smirked (because the Scott-smirk was present as every picture), his hands rested on her hips comfortably, she smiled tilting her head to rest slightly on his shoulder –but what really grabbed her attention were his eyes, they weren't staring at the camera like everyone else's…they were set on _her_.

"Okay, I'm ready –sunscreen, beach towel, bathing suits, _Ferragamos_–" Haley said, pulling the aviators down from the top of her head, "Yep, got it all," she said rummaging through her huge purse, "Lets go."

Jake was right behind her in his black Split board shorts and a Duke T-shirt. "Yep. Lets get this show on the road." He said, throwing a duffel bag over his shoulder. Brooke and Rachel tossed him their backpacks and followed Haley outside.

-xx-

Rachel jogged towards the car and climbed into the driver's seat before everyone else got there. "Okay, change of plans," she informed Clay, "Hales and Jay are tagging along with us."

"I'm cool with that."

The redhead rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but Hales…she's a little hormonal right now. Just–whatever she says, go along with it. Cool?" Clay only nodded in response.

The drive down was within the norm –Brooke and Clay sang loudly and off key, Jake drowned them out with his iPod while Haley took a nap, Rachel honked and screamed profanities to the rest of the unsuspecting drivers– the usual stuff.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Myrtle Beach**

The five some made pretty good time getting down to Myrtle Beach (mainly because Rachel drove like a fucking maniac) and walked into the hotel.

"This place is wild," declared Haley, clinging to Jake's arm, "Break hasn't even officially started and look how packed it is!"

Clay grinned, "Yeah," he said, "Isn't awesome!" he threw an arm around Rachel's shoulder, "C'mon, Freckles, lets check in."

They approached the desk, tapping the service bell annoyingly, "Hello," greeted the clearly unenthused concierge at the check-in desk, "Welcome to the Yacht House Inn, where your vacation is shipshape. How may I help you?"

"Hey, dude," said Clay, "Uh, checking in –reservation under Evans. And," he cleared his throat, pulling out a hundred out his cargo short's pocket and sliding it towards the concierge, "well, we're kinda gonna need the whole floor, Stretch. Can you hook us up?"

The guy grabbed the bill, holding it up to the light to make sure it was good, "Certainly," he said flatly, "Ooh, look at that, the reservations for Carr and Lane were accidentally deleted. Top floor's entirely available. Here are your keys, Mr. Evans. Have an enjoyable spring break."

Clay flashed his best cocky-asshole smirk, "I like ya, Stretch," he said, passing the keys around, "I'll see ya around."

"You're an obnoxious jackass." Declared Rachel, jumping up to peck his lips.

"There you go!" said Brooke, pulling the brunette's hair playfully, "Now you're starting to catch on on what I've been telling you since I introduced you two."

Clay shook his head, "Whatever. Don't act like you don't like it." he said, tickling Brooke's side with one hand while throwing a squealing Rachel over his shoulder with the other, "Now lets go check out our rooms!"

The Yacht House Inn in Myrtle Beach wasn't exactly the Imperial in New York, but for a week of screwing around it would do. The rooms were comfortable (and it wasn't like they were planning on doing a lot of sleeping, anyways) and they settled in quickly. "So, where to now?"

"I say we go down to Tijuana Tony's." suggested Clay, "We can one of those big-ass sombreros, and do shots from the Margerito Bandido!" he shrugged, "And, y'know, a virgin piña colada or something for the MILF. That sound good?"

"Sounds great, Gorgeous," said Rachel, discarding her shirt to remain in only her black bikini top. "Lets go! I declare this Spring Break has officially commenced!"

-xx-

**Monday  
Greek Row**

Luke was tossing the football around with Duke in the front yard of the Phi Delt house when he spotted the worn down yellow school bus parked in front of the Sigma Chi house. It was tradition that the ancient bus (which was rumored to have been stolen _Roadtrip_ style) would drive the entire house down to Myrtle Beach.

"Uh, hang on, man," said Luke, tossing the ball to Duke, "I'll be back." He crossed the street and jogged towards his twin brother, "Hey, dude!" he called out.

Nate turned around, "Hey, bro," he said, putting his Blue Devils cap on backwards, "You're up early. What can I do ya for?"

"Uh, you guys are leaving for spring break today?" the blonde questioned. He'd tried to find Brooke yesterday, but the brunette had been nowhere in sight, and he was hoping to catch her before the chaotic, drunken blur that was sure to be spring break.

Nate nodded, "Yeah, we are," he replied with a nod, "Sweet-talked O into it, but B got the head start on all of us anyway seeing as she left yesterday. Well, technically it was Red and Clay who planned the getaway, but still…"

"Can I catch a ride down with you guys?" The question came out automatically –he hadn't really planned anything special for this year's spring break, but he hadn't seen Brooke on her birthday and now she was gone and, like a reflex, he wanted to follow.

Nate raised an eyebrow, "Are you even packed?" he shook his head, "You know what? Never mind. Sure. We're kinda leaving right now, man."

"You always pack like a chick," replied Luke with a shrug, "Don't you have some extra clothes I can borrow?" Fuck, he was already wearing a bathing suit, his car was still in the shop and the Phi Delts weren't leaving till Wednesday.

"_Dude_," said Nate seriously, "Do _not_ mock my packing abilities when you're asking me for a favor." he said with a smirk, leading his brother into the bus, "Welcome aboard!" Luke took a seat up front, the rest of the Sigma Chi brothers were already there, "We know you have many choices in travel, and we thank you for choosing Sigma Chi Air." He said with a wink and a winning grin, "Now, for all our newcomers, this bus has taken the Sigs down to Myrtle Beach for 25 spring breaks in a row. It is a legend. Pledge Piznarski will be serving chips and pretzels in the main cabin. And this bus makes only five stops and five stops only for gas. We ready to start spring break?"

Loud whoops of agreement emanated from the bus. Nate shrugged a shoulder, turning to Owen who was all set up in the driver's seat. "Fire her up, O," he said, "We rolling."

The raven-haired Scott took a seat next to his brother, "So," he started, "You goin' down early to meet up with a certain tiny and annoying brunette we both know and you definitely love?"

The guys in the back started to mockingly ask: 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?' repeatedly.

Luke licked his lips –this was going to be a long-ass road trip. He glanced at his brother, "Nonya, Nate," he smirked, "'Sides, I'm just starting the party early. Not everything's about Brooke Davis."

"Yeah, bro, just keep telling yourself that till it feels like its true."

-xx-

**Monday  
Myrtle Beach**

When the yellow school bus full of Sigma Chis (plus Luke) arrived, it emptied out into the motel immediately. Nate tossed his duffel to Luke, "This whole crashing thing mean you're crashing with me, too?"

"You guys staying at the Seabreeze?"

Nate nodded, "Yeah, Piz got the rooms."

"That place's a hole, man," Luke shook his head.

"Nah, that place's _cheap_. So, unless you got something better, that's all there is."

Luke smirked, "Did you know that Logan gave me a copy of the key to his house on the Strand –fully stocked with a wet bar and a hot tub. And he and the guys won't be here till Wednesday. So, you got two full days before you need to shag-ass outta there and find another place to crash."

"Shit, fuck Seabreeze," declared Nate, "Lets hit that."

The house wasn't that far so they decided to walk it –sunny day plus plenty of hot girls in bikinis made for a pretty decent view. "So," started Nate, "You ready to fess up what's with the insta-trip? I thought you were done chasing Brooke, what happened to letting her chase after you?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "I'm not here to chase after Brooke. I just…wanted to start the break early. Have fun, party –isn't that the whole point?"

"Well, _I'm_ here to find enough warm-bodies fill all the notches in my Myrtle Beach belt. It's kind of what spring break's _for_," Nate said matter-of-factly, "You…well, you try to squeeze some fun in while you're searching for Tropical Storm Brooke. And try to avoid getting caught in the riptide, dude."

"I'm _not_ here for–"

"–right." Nate shrugged, "So, you don't want to know that she's staying at the top floor of the Yacht House Inn with Red, Clay, Jay and Hales. Or that going down to the 3oh!3 concert on Tuesday. None of that would interest you, right?" he said, "Oh, also, Red texted me a few hours ago –they're spending the day at the beach. Maybe you can check it out."

Luke smirked, "Y'know, we're already good, man," he said, "You can stop kissing my ass now."

Nate shoved him, "Asshole." He said, "Now, are we fucking there yet? 'Cause I kind of want to ditch you now."

"Actually we are," said Luke, pulling the key from his jeans' pocket.

The pair dropped their things at the house, and changed before heading out for the day. Nate and Luke walked down the pier, passing all the hot dog stands and dodging all the Tony Hawk wannabes in their skateboards. "Dude!" exclaimed Nate, "Next time, you're packing your own bag. We haven't looked this ridiculous since Mom put us in those matching sailor's costumes when we were five." Both brothers were wearing dark-blue bathing suits and light-blue Sigma Chi T-shirts (which Luke really hadn't wanted to wear) –they almost looked matching. "And even _I _can't rock that look."

"Not my fault you brought nearly all-identical clothes." Smirked Luke, "Besides, I make this shit look _good_."

Nate rolled his eyes, landing on a bunch girls playing down on the beach. "Hey, stud!" one of them called out from below, "You up for some volleyball?"

Nate walked towards the pier's wooden railing, crossing his arms over it –eight hot girls in barely-there bikinis. Yeah, he could rock that. "Absolutely." He smirked, "Come on, big bro, what do you think? It'll be fu-u-un." He sing-songed, glancing down at the pack of girls once more.

"My friend thinks you're cute!" declared one of the blondes.

Luke flashed them a smile, and waved down at them, "Yeah, uh," he started, cutting his eyes towards Nate, "I'll pass. Go ahead, though. And remember, if you wanna have a fun ride, always bring your own horses." He said, pulling out a Trojan from his short's pockets.

"You're a dick," declared a smirking Nate, taking the condom and shoving it down his pocket nonetheless, "And I'll see ya later. I'm hitting Club Paradox with a few guys. You in, right?" Being the showoff that he was, he jumped over the railing easily and climbed down the side of the wooden post. The pack of girls clapped and cheered for him, and when he finally jumped down onto the sand he took a bow, "Ah, that was nothin'. You ladies should see my serve. Now, whose team am I on, huh?"

"Cocky asshole." Muttered the brooding blonde as he shook his head. Then again, maybe he'd hit up the beach.

-xx-

**Monday  
Myrtle Beach**

Rachel and Brooke where sprawled out on their beach chairs, their overly-priced bikinis hugging their every curve, their Ray-Bans firmly in place, and perfectly pedicured toes digging into the clear, warm beach sand. Next to them, comfortably perched under a huge umbrella, Haley continued to spread sunscreen on her arms. Unlike her two friends, her skin didn't naturally tan to the perfect shade of golden brown without the need for Bain De Soleil or Coppertone.

"So," started the honey-blonde, "Last night was fun."

"Definitely," replied Brooke with a somewhat unenthused tone, "My pierced navel–which some dude who works at the backroom of the bar and calls himself _Rip_ did–is healing up wonderfully, and I've decided I'm never drinking that much again, thank you very much."

Rachel smirked and Haley rolled her eyes, "Anyone ever tell you you complain too much, Tigger," she joked.

Brooke lowered her sunglasses, her hazel eyes meeting Haley's as she flashed her most endearing dimpled-smile. "Yes." She said, shrugging a shoulder, "But I do it with a smile."

Rachel smirked and Haley laughed. Then the lifeguard truck drove slowly near the shore. A few hot, shirtless boys were standing in the cabin yelling into a megaphone: "Hey, Spring Breakers! In about five minutes we're gonna start the sand castle contest. First place gets free drinks at Club Paradox!"

"Ooh! C'mon, lets do that!" squealed Haley excitedly, "I used to love building sand castles when I was little."

Rachel scrunched up her nose, "I've never really like the sand. It tends to linger in places long after you leave the beach."

Haley, in turn, eyed her carefully, "Sex on the beach?" she questioned, "Really?"

"He-ey! Don't knock it till you've tried it," declared Brooke with a grin. "And, fine, lets do it. I'm down with free drinks."

Luke arrived at the fully-crowded beach quickly. The bar was packed, people pushed and shoved, colorful drinks spilling on the clear sand. A guy bumped into Luke while he was attempting to catch a Frisbee.

Down by the lifeguard stand, a bunch of people were building a variety of sand castles. Luke spotted Haley meticulously shaping a tower –they used to do this together during the summers when they were little kids. He sat down next to her, nudging her playfully, "Hey, Hales,"

"Luke!" Haley exclaimed, dropping her squirt bottle she was using and wrapping her arms around her best friend's neck, "What're you doing here? I thought you weren't coming down till Wednesday?"

"Caught a ride with Nate." He shrugged, "He said you'd be hanging here today."

The honey-blonde nodded, "Yeah. Rae and Tigger went down to get drinks –hopefully something non-alcoholic, but I highly doubt it."

"That hurts, Hales," declared Brooke walking up behind her, handing her a Styrofoam cup, "We got strawberry-banana smoothies with an açai berry boost. Totally healthy."

"Plus the Grey Goose shots I added from my handy little flask." Added Rachel, sitting on the other side of Luke, "But don't worry, we didn't spike yours. You should've texted that Blondie was here. We would've sprung for an extra one, dude."

Brooke looked up at him, "Yeah. Hey, Luke," greeted Brooke with a smile, "Um, wanna go get another? I'll go with. Line's not that bad when you got some company."

"Sure." Replied Luke, getting up and offering her a hand to help her up, "Thanks."

Haley and Rachel watched them walk off towards the smoothies stand. "When do you think they're gonna get their sand together?" questioned Haley.

"No clue." Said Rachel, "Hopefully it'll be soon, though. 'Cause I don't think she's gotten laid since the wedding, and she's way funnier when she doesn't have all that sexual tension pent up."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Logan's Beach House**

Logan Echolls and the rest of the Phis were starting off the break with a blowout party. Everyone was there–the fairly large house seeming small at being so crowded.

One of the guys handed Luke a drink in a red cup, and he happily downed its contents. He grimaced–whatever was in there was strong. His eyes instantly found the enticing dark-haired beauty. As of late, he hadn't seen her around with any new guys, which was an odd but welcome change of pace.

Nate popped up behind him, threw an arm around his shoulder, drink in his other hand, "Dude!" he exclaimed, "Chicks here are _tight_! I mean, have you _seen_ those exchange students?" But then he noted that his brother was doing the same thing he'd been doing since they arrived at Myrtle Beach.

"Oh, c'm_on_!" he whined, "Yeah, I get it –she's not ready, seems to be allergic to saying those dreaded three little words, she's got trust issues coming out her perfectly shaped ass. _Whatever_." Nate rolled his eyes, "Look –she's standing right there, man," he placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, "She looks sexy, carefree, beach-babe _beautiful_ right now, like only B. Davis can. And you need to relax." He said, pulling out something of his pocket and extending it to his brother, "It's Spring Break. Now, come on."

"Where'd you even get this shit?" Luke asked, grabbing the rolled-up joint, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, bringing it to his lips and inhaling hard –he hadn't smoked _anything_ in a while, his one an only vice had been cigarettes and he'd quit back in high school. "It's strong."

The raven-haired Scott ran a hand through his hair, "Uh…remember the douche-bag singer that rolled through town a few months back? Well, he's here with this dude–White Mike–and they're making a _killing_ dealing out here. Spring Break's turning out like Black Friday for 'em."

Luke let out a loud cough, "You bought the weed from Chris Keller and a guy called _White Mike_?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow skeptically, but doing another hit anyways.

Nate nodded, "Yeah," he shrugged, "Look, I know what you're thinking, 'cause dude's a total tool, but…the shit is _good_." He took the joint off his brother's hands and did a hit. "Look, I'm meeting up with some girls right now, but here," he pushed a piece of paper against his brother's chest, "This is the address. Diamond Dunes. Right nearby here, maybe you can swing down later for some party favors. Alright?" he punched the blonde's shoulder lightly, sliding a fifty in his shirt's pocket. "I'm out. Text me when you're there."

Luke continued walking through the house, a light buzz clouding his senses. Then he bumped into just who he was looking for–because they always seemed to be pulled into one another–her drink splashing his chest, "Brooke Davis." He grinned, "Leaving the party early?"

"No way. Logan's parties are always kicking. I'm actually headed to join in on a game of Thumper," offered Brooke with a smile. "You in?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Well, ya might wanna find an easier target, B."

Brooke grinned –he'd walked right into that one. "Is anyone easier than you?"

"Touché." They both laughed, and Luke handed her a drink, and then, "I got tipped off about a house party in Diamond Dunes. If you're interested, that is," Brooke happily jotted down the address, agreeing to meet up later.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Diamond Dunes**

A few hours later, Nate was heading out towards the condo, he was texting Luke, telling him to come on down when he heard the cop sirens. One of the guys fleeing the building nudged him, "Some rat tipped-off the cops, dude. Circle out."

"Thanks, man," called out Nate. He spotted a girl attempting to walk into the condo, "Whoa, hey," he said, grabbing her arm, "I wouldn't –party's busting out right now. Some dude called the cops and everyone's clearing out."

The girl turned around, her hair flipping with the wind, like something out of a movie, "Whoa, nice save!" she said with a smile, "Wow. Nate Scott in the flesh."

Nate smirked, "Alex Dupre." He said, "Somehow, I'm not that surprised to find you here –you never did meet a party you didn't like."

"Touché," replied Alex with a smile, "Specially coming from the boy who's also never met a party he didn't like. So, since the rest of my night plans are apparently busted, wanna go somewhere?"

Nate cocked an eyebrow in interest, he'd heard she'd broken it up with Sam, "What'd you have in mind, A?"

"Depends," Alex licked her lips, her fingers travelling down his chest, pulling open his white button-down shirt, "Where you staying? And does it have a bed?"

Technically he was staying nowhere since the Phis had taken over the beach house. But Clay _had_ given him a room key. Said to make himself at home. "Oh yeah." Besides, he was probably the one guy on Greek Row who'd yet to sleep with Alex Dupre.

"Lead the way, Scott."

Inside, the apartment was emptying out quickly. Brooke pushed her way against the horde stampeding out, and rushed over towards the blonde, kneeling down at his side, pulling his head onto her lap, "Luke," she said, patting the side of his face, "Luke. Luke, c'mon. Hey," heavy lids fluttered open, blinking repeatedly, "There we go. Good."

"Wha' happened?" he muttered drowsily.

"Um…well, I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think some dude decked you and you hit your head against the table." The brunette explained, running her hands soothingly through his golden locks of hair, "Are you okay? Can you stand up?"

Then the front door busted open, three cops walked in. Brooke threw her head back with a groan. "You _gotta_ be shitting me."

-xx-

Outside, Officer Foreman pulled out his handcuffs, "You have the right to remain silent," he started reciting, securing a cuff on the brunette's right wrist, "Anything you say…"

But Brooke was already tuning the cop out –it wasn't the first time she'd had and…'_incident_' with law enforcement. "Call Junior, tell him to send down a lawyer," she instructed Clay and Rachel, "Do _not_ call my parents. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it, Dimples," replied Clay, rubbing the back of his head, "I'll handle this. It's cool." Rachel gripped the brunette's hand, pulling him back towards the hotel, "We've got your back, B. Just hang tight." The redhead assured her best friend.

The other cop already had Luke cuffed, "Pey, get Logan," said the Brooding Blonde, "Tell him I need a lawyer. _Don_'t call Dan. Just…tell Nate I might need some bail money."

Peyton nodded. "Yeah. I'll get them. Just relax, it'll be okay." Matt Saracen stood slack-jawed next to the curly blonde, "C'mon, Pey, Logan's still down by the beach." He said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "Let's go get him."

Rachel and Clay watched as Peyton and Matt disappeared down the beach. "What the fuck are we gonna do?" asked the redhead.

"What B said. Get Junior on the phone and see who he can send over. But we gotta get her out tonight." Said Clay, dropping his arm from around her shoulders to pull out his cell phone, "See if you can track down Nate."

"On it."

Down by the beach, Matt and Peyton where just finishing catching Logan up on everything that had gone down. Logan frowned, "What the fuck!" he yelled, "Look, we're _fucked_ –Nationals is trying to bring the hammer down, any member caught in illegal or untoward activities risks expulsion and the revocation of the house's charter. Not only do we need to get Luke out, we need to make it so that there's no record that he was ever _in_." Logan rubbed his eyes, "And that's hard to pull off, even for _me_."

"Well, we can't just leave Luke in jail. We have to get him out."

"Luke's _where_?" demanded Haley, who'd just walked up behind them with Jake.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Law Enforcement Center**

The brooding blonde and the tiny brunette paced their joint-yet-separate jail cells. Neither could still believe they'd actually gotten arrested –Luke's father was running for the senate, Brooke's father ran a multimillion dollar empire, things like _these_ didn't happen to people like _them_.

Besides, the charges were totally bogus –the cops had found a few baggies of weed in the apartment, neither of which were theirs. Then there was the fact that Luke was high, but that was neither here nor there.

Of all the people doing illegal shit during spring break, of course _they_'d be the ones to get busted.

"Y'know, I wasn't jealous before we met," Luke said, running a hand through his hair, "Now every guy that I see around you is this…potential douche-bag waiting to make his move. And I'm possessive –it isn't nice…"

The brunette raised an eyebrow, "Trust me, I _know_ it isn't nice."

"Yeah, but before I just didn't give a shit. Now everything is just…_you_."

Brooke smiled, "So," she said, "you're saying this is my fault?"

Luke's navy-blue eyes rose to meet her hazel ones, "No," his grin was impish, his tone relaxed, "It's mine… I still don't know what the fuck it is you've done to me. I've never been this whipped before, _ever_."

"Well, I've never gotten arrested for a guy before," stated Brooke coolly –and had it been any other one of her hook-ups, she'd have bailed long before the cop sirens started ringing, "So, I guess ya do something to me, too." Luke laughed, mimicking her position laying back down on the hard bench in his cell, opposite to the brunette, "You're _stoned_, aren't you?" asked the brunette in surprise. She chuckled, "I've never seen you stoned before."

Luke glanced at her, his eyes glazed with something, "I don't normally smoke. 'Sides, weed dulls me out –I don't like that."

Brooke nodded, "I know. You like to be in control."

"I find the way you _presume_ to know me so well annoying." Luke pursed his lips, rolling his eyes.

The brunette sat down, legs crossed delicately, arms crossed seductively over her chest, "It's not really presuming when you _know_." She shot back, grinning cockily, "Know what I think?"

"What, Brooke? What _do_ you think? I'm curious because you never actually tell me _anything_, so this oughta be good." Luke didn't exactly shout it at her, it was said matter-of-factly, but something about it felt like one of the stupid-ass arguments they used to have when they were a couple.

"I think…" the brunette sighed, "I think you're cute when you're stoned. And mellow. It's nice. And I'm sorry I make you so crazy. If it helps at all, I don't mean to. It just happens."

"Yeah, well…that's okay," Luke rested his head against the cold bars of his cell, "I still love you." he pouted adorably, gripping the bars.

Brooke walked towards him, "Yes." she said, placing her hands on top of his. "So you've said,"

"You know I wouldn't say it if it weren't true. You're _it_ –there's no one else because, really, no other girl compares you. No other girl manages to even come close," declared Luke with a smile, "And Nate was right –you do look sexy, carefree, beach-babe beautiful tonight, even while we're in a crappy Myrtle Beach jail cell."

She brought a hand up to cup his face, "I…" she licked her lips, "No other guy compares to you, either, Luke. And I'm sorry for that night –I'm sorry I said no to you when what I really wanted was to say yes." It was the first time she'd ever actually admitted to that.

"How come you've never told me this before?"

"The only reason I'm telling you any of this right now," Brooke started, "Is because I know you won't remember a word of it tomorrow." She stood on her tiptoes, crashing her lips against his softly. Officer Foreman, "Oy!" he called out, banging on the bars, "No touching."

Luke glared at the cop, "Piss off, Rent-a-cop!" He figured he could mouth off –because, what else was the cop gonna do, _arrest him_?

"God," Brooke whispered when their lips parted, "I really do miss you."

Luke's hand searched his pocket, pulling out a simple necklace. "I missed your birthday –'cause, you know, like usual you just fled off without warning. I wanted to find the right time to give it to you, but…well, now's as good a time as any."

Brooke recognized it –she'd seen it months ago when they'd gone shopping at the promenade for Christmas gifts and found it cute. Honestly, he didn't think he'd noticed because he'd been bored with shopping from the minute they started. "You actually remembered this?"

"Yeah. I wanted to give it to you on Sunday, but…" the brooder shrugged, "I don't know. It is what it is –you, me. Never at the same place at the same time, are we?"

"So you think timing's our problem?"

Luke licked his lips, reaching out and delicately taking the necklace out of her hands, "I think you should let me help you put it on. I'm sure it'll look beautiful on you."

Brooke turned around, moving her hair out of her way, as Luke easily fastened the necklace. "Perfect fit." He whispered, dropping a kiss on the back of her neck.

Clay walked in, hands tucked in his swim trunks' pockets, "I got you a lawyer." He said, handing her a card.

Brooke read it, "No, you got me Danny Meade," she protested, "New York's best playboy, second only to you and Junior. Clay, I have to get out of here tonight."

Clay sighed, "Well, it's all we could get." He replied, "Daniel's the only guy Junior and I know who's got a law degree and isn't under your Dad's thumb. It's all we got, Dimples." he said, "Look, maybe you should just let me call your dad –he can have you here in under five minutes, B."

Brooke's glare was deadly, "No." she said, "I'm serious, do not pull him into this. The last thing I need is him and Bitch-toria on my ass about this." She wasn't going to add 'convict' to the list of reasons why her parents thought of her as a fuck-up, nor was she going to debase herself by asking them to bail her out of trouble (yet again).

"What about Logan?" piped in Luke, "He doesn't have a single lawyer who can get us out?"

Clay rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, your situation's a little different, man. Something about your house's charter. Sorry. It's all I got." He said, "Besides, cops here are ridiculously ethical –none of the ones I talked to would take a bribe." '

Luke watched as Clay and Brooke had one of their entirely wordless conversations in which they communicated everything with seemingly normal eyes. Finally, Clay rolled his eyes, "I'll find another way." he surrendered, walking out of the station.

"I find the non-verbal communication thing you two do annoying."

Brooke sat back down, hugging a knee to her chest, "You find _everything_ Clay does annoying."

"True," Luke conceded, walking toward the bars again, "So, where were we?"

Hazel eyes rose to meet his, "I was telling you thank you for the necklace. It's lovely, Luke. And I can't believe you remembered. It's one of the nicest gifts I've ever gotten." And coming from a millionaire's daughter, that was really saying something.

"You know, out of the, like, billions of women there's gotta be all around the world, I don't really expect every one of them to want me." Luke grinned, "But _you_ should want me –you _do_ want me. You just…won't let yourself love me."

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "We getting all philosophical now?"

"Why do you always dodge the subject when it comes to talking about how you feel?" he shot back.

"'Cause I don't like to talk about it."

"And _that_ is our problem!" declared Luke, walking back towards the bench of his cell. Brooke rolled her eyes and did the same.

A few hours later, Officer Foreman popped in and opened up their cells–they'd been sprung out, free to go.

-xx-

Outside, Brooke and Luke talked heatedly while Clay and Rachel finished dealing with the cops.

The blonde's hands roamed every curve of the brunette's body, his large frame pulling her away from prying eyes. Running up her back, agile fingers started pulling apart the knots that held her bikini top in place. Much to his surprise, it was she who stopped him this time around. "What's wrong?" he whispered against her lips.

"Not now. Not like this." _Not when you're stoned and probably won't remember it tomorrow_.

"It was like this the last time." he pointed out.

"Yeah. And back then it was okay because…you hadn't said it. And I could keep on playing pretend that it was just one night, just comfort and a warm-body. But it's not like that anymore. It's real. And it kinda feels like…the next time we do this, it'll be _it_ –sink or swim, make it or break it." explained Brooke, staring deeply into his navy-blue eyes, "And the next time we do this, I want it to be right. I want to be…ready."

"I don't want it to be something you regret the morning after."

"Y'know, I've wondered a million times if I shouldn't have walked away," said Luke, "If I should've just said fuck it, and said yes and if we'd gotten back together that same morning-after in my bedroom. 'Cause I knew you weren't going to say it, and you still _can_'t say it, and all I can really do is wait. But I miss you–_us_…waking up tangled up in you." he shrugged, "And I just wonder…should I've just said yes?"

"I think…" started Brooke, "that maybe in the future. We _will_ be better." ('Cause she was gonna say it–at some point.)

Luke's hands on her waist tightened, pulling her closer against his broad chest, "Is that your way of saying you love me, too?" he smirked.

Haley and Jake popped up behind them, "Oh, thank god!" the honey-blonde let out a sigh of relief, pulling first the brooder into a lung-crushing hug. And then the brunette, "I thought you two were going to be taken to the big house!"

"Hey, man," greeted Jake, bumping fists with him, and half-hugging Brooke. "Um, apparently we gotta go now. Rae's heading back to the hotel to pack up. Logan told me to take you to the house." He turned to Brooke, "Can you and Hales just wait down by the beach for us? Everyone already cleared out and apparently we're short on time to get outta here."

Brooke nodded, "You got it, Jay," she linked arms with Haley, waving goodbye to Luke, and walking back down towards the beach. It must've been ridiculously because it was still dark and the streets were pretty empty. "C'mon, Hales, you can catch me up on what I missed."

"'Kay, Tigger," the honey-blonde jumped into the brooder's arms for a final hug, "Be safe, Lucas Eugene Scott. I am so freaking serious right now–do _not_ do anything illegal."

Luke smiled, "I won't."

"Swear?" Luke nodded, linking his pinkie with hers, "_Pinky_ Swear, Hales." He assured her.

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Yacht House Inn**

Rachel walked into the room, eyes narrowing at the sight.

Nate and Alex immediately jumped up, pulling the covers over their bodies. "Hey, Rae," greeted Alex happily.

"Hi, Alex," greeted Rachel, glaring at Nate, "And you, _jackass_, too busy getting laid to answer your freaking phone? Luke and Brooke just got out of _jail_."

Nate shook his head, "Wait. _What_?" his hand scavenged the side of the bed for his boxers. He slid the under the covers and pulled them on before tossing the sheets aside, "What happened?"

"Check your phone." Spat out Rachel, slamming a backpack against his chest, "We've all left you enough messages explaining what was going on. Now pack up. We're leaving."

The raven-haired Scott grabbed the backpack, "But we still have four days left here." He whined. The glare the redhead shot him was enough of an explanation. "Right." he said, sliding on his Billabong board shorts back on. "I'll pack up. Check my messages." He retrieved his Sidekick out of one of the pockets, turning it on. The screen flashed: _20 New Messages_.

His phone had been off for a few hours. Brow furrowed, _What the fuck had gone down_?

"Uh, fun times," said Nate, leaning a knee into the mattress and pecking the still-naked brunette's lips, "See ya back home?"

Alex quirked her eyebrows, then with a swift nod, "I'll call you."

He caught up with Rachel in the hall were she was raiding the vending machines. The redhead seemed to be giving him the silent treatment. "Oh, c'mon, Red! I'm sorry." Nate pouted, "Look, it's not like I did it on purpose. We were fooling around and I turned my phone off, and then the clothes came off, and…you know. And B and Luke are out–not harm, no foul."

Rachel slammed a bag full of snack and bottles of soda against his chest, "I got food, packed and tracked you down. We're headed down to the beach to meet up with everyone else. You coming or bailing?"

"Coming." Sure, he still had no fucking clue about what had gone down, but he was a team player –if they were leaving, he'd go with. At that, the redhead smiled slightly, "Here ya go," she threw the bags at him, "Least you can do after getting your brother and my best friend _arrested_."

"Hey, I did n–"

"–_please_. I know Other Scott wouldn't get the idea to crash a dealer's house party–a dealer who _I_ hooked you up with, by the way–on his own. That's all _you_."

Navy-blue eyes widened, "They got busted at White Mike's?"

"C'mon, Moody," said Rachel, tugging him towards the elevator, "I'll catch you up on the way –Clay and Luke are pissed too, by the way."

Nate sighed, running a hand through his dark locks of hair, "I am sure they are."

-xx-

**Thursday  
Myrtle Beach**

The two friends walked down the deserted beach, passing below the also empty promenade, watching the waves crash against the shore. Finally, they settled down on a spot in the cool sand. Haley filled Brooke in how Clay had worked his magic to get them out (including trading his father's prized car), which was why they had to hurry to Carolina Express Bus to catch the first jitney outta there.

"I think you love him. Once you let yourself say it, it's just…it's gonna change everything you fell. Because it'll be real." declared Haley, watching the white sand brush up against her toes, "And life's too short to play games. If you love somebody and you want to be with them, then go get them. Deal with the mess later. We don't know what tomorrow will bring."

"Hales…you're my best friend, and I love ya," said Brooke, staring at the horizon dazed, "but…you sound like a _really_ long needlepoint pillow right now, you know?"

"Shut up! I'm pregnant." Demanded Haley, smacking her brunette friend's arm playfully, "And I'm watching a beautiful sunrise with my best friend –who just got out of jail. No matter what, we'll remember this moment forever."

"You know what would make it more memorable?" Brooke wiggled her eyebrows, "If we were naked."

"Oh…kay." Haley frowned in confusion, "Didn't see that coming."

Brooke pulled out a rumpled piece of paper from her pants' back pocket. The honey-blonde recognized it –it was a list she'd made freshman year of the top ten things they should all do on spring break. "It's the only thing left on your crazy-ass, preppy spring break list –_skinny dipping_."

"Please, I was seventeen and insanely naïve when I came up with that."

True, but they'd done almost everything on it, anyways. Since this was their last real spring break together (because even if it was just the hormones talking, Haley had made a valid point: it wouldn't be the same once she and Jake became parents for real), something just felt..._right_ about completing the wacked-ass list.

Brooke shrugged, "Eh," she hummed, "Last Spring Break, Soon-To-Be-Tutor-Mom," she said, "Why not go out with a bang?"

Haley eyed her skeptically, "A _naked_ bang?"

"All my best bangs have happened when I'm naked,"

At that the honey-blonde laughed, "Fine." She sighed, relenting, "Why not?"

Haley squealed, and Brooke shrieked, and the water was fucking cold.

And Haley suddenly felt that it was the perfect way to end her last official spring break.


	33. BarTop Backseat Therapy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN**: So, my Mac died (which, who the fuck knew could happen? That thing was supposed to last forever) and the latest chapter for RoA as I originally wrote it died with it. This is probably 100% different from what I originally wrote and I'm beyond pissed off about it. In fact, I think this is a really shitty one, but I needed to get the ball rolling. So, here it is. Finally.

Anyway, this one goes to anyone who's still reading this (assuming some of you are still out there)… Tell me whatcha think, dudes. Good, bad, so-so, total shit?

**The Rules Of Attraction**

_Bar-Top/Backseat Therapy_

_"Hide-and-seek, grown-up style. Wanting to hide. Needing to be sought. Confused about being found."  
_—_Robert Fulghum_

-xx-

**Thursday  
Jaley's Apartment**

Brooke opened her eyes slowly. Heavy lids fluttered open in a pretty futile attempt to adjust to the light that was currently pouring in through the blinds of the living room window. The light blue couch was all-too familiar (she'd passed out on it countless times before), but she quite couldn't remember how she'd gotten there.

"Ugh," a low groan escaped her ruby red lips as she sat up straight. Through half-lidded eyes she inspected the room—yep, she was definitely in Jaley's living room (and it was nice to have that fact officially corroborated).

Further inspection revealed Rachel curled up into a ball, fast asleep in the armchair across from Brooke. The redhead was down to her little black bikini, a beach towel draped over her body. On the floor next to her, Clay was passed out, his duffel acting as a pillow and his bare feet propped up against the armchair.

Brooke guessed Jake and Haley were safely asleep in their bedroom.

Then there was Nate: he was shirtless, strewn on a bean-bag chair in front of the muted TV, iPod headphones placed safely in his ears (some indistinct Eminem song blaring through them), his bare feet propped up on the coffee table (which itself was littered with cans of beer and Red Bull). He was fully engrossed in what looked like an Xbox game of _Call of Duty_.

_Motherfucker_, Brooke thought. _He bails on us down in Myrtle Beach—to get _laid_, no less—and the asshole doesn't even have the grace to be in severe pain from the mother of all hangovers_.

The son of a bitch was _definitely_ golden.

Brooke hurled a throw pillow at his head to grab his attention.

Nate whirled around startled, flashed her that Golden Boy Scott smirk.

"What happened yesterday?" She felt like she felt like throwing up (which was actually better than actually having to throw up). One phrase ran on a loop in her head: Never Again.

And though she was well aware that she'd probably do it all again (though maybe next time she wouldn't get arrested) she felt better by telling herself that.

Nate paused his game, "Um, Jay and I found you and Hales down by the beach soaking wet and laughing like lunatics." He related absentmindedly, "We caught the first jitney back home, you all took the chance to berate me as a group before falling asleep. Everyone pretty much sleep walked all the way up here and then crashed..."

Brooke blinked, she barely remembered the beach let alone everything else. "Right. And what time is it now?"

"Like, 9. Maybe ten. I don't know."

It was then that Haley ran out of the bedroom and rushed into the bathroom. Boxer-clad Jake walked out behind her rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He didn't seem to notice them in the living room, just followed her into the bathroom, and closed the door.

"Well, Haley's throwing up." Brooke deadpanned. "That means it's 9:30."

Three hours later everyone was up (and it turned out they all felt like shit).

It was a mixture of a lot of things: the stress of two of their own getting thrown in the big house (or rather the Myrtle Beach Police Station, but jail-time was still jail-time no matter the jail), the complete abuse of alcohol (and a couple of other illegal substances), going almost twenty-four hours with no sleep, among other things.

Haley was sitting on the small sofa hugging a plastic trashcan in her lap. Jake sat dutifully by her side, handed her a ginger ale bottle and some crackers. Morning sickness was a bitch, but at least they had a routine down.

Clay and Rachel had piled up on the armchair. He had a leg hanging off the side, and Rachel was all huddled up on his lap. He had one arm circling her waist, the other reaching for the Red Bull cans on the coffee table in an attempt to find one that still had some left.

Brooke was lying down on the couch hugging a throw pillow to her chest. Her body felt completely drained of every last ounce of energy, but she didn't feel like she could manage to fall asleep.

Nate sat on the kitchen counter, his feet kicking the cabinets behind them. "I'm bored." He declared. The fucker was refreshed and energized.

"Fuck you!" was the synchronized reply he received from the living room.

Besides the fact that the rest of them were all wiped out, Durham was a college town. Translation: it pretty much deserted for Spring Break. Even Al's had closed for the week. There was shit-all to do.

Not to mention the fact that they were pissed at Nate. Clay (or rather Clay's dad) was down a car. The Phis nearly lost their charter. And Logan had made Luke stay behind in Myrtle Beach were the brothers could sober him off and make sure he didn't cause any other fuck ups.

Rachel groaned, "Ugh, I feel like I'm dying."

"Oh, shut up!" Haley rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Sure. You all are feeling like shit 'cause you've spent the last few days drinking your weight in alcohol. I'm pregnant! I've been throwing up at 9:30 everyday like clockwork, and I still have six more months to endure of this. Not to mention, the more I read about it, the more I realize how much it is going to _hurt _to push this baby out!" she squealed, "_And_ I'm getting fatter by the minute!"

Jake let out a sigh, "Babe, come on," he said using his best reassuring tone, "It's fine. You look beautiful. And you know the morning sickness will pass." He assured her, kissed the side of her head gently. She settled comfortably into his arms and rested her head on his warm chest, "Besides," Jake added, "you got the memorable Spring Break you wanted."

It was interesting to watch how Jake soothed Haley. He didn't say anything particularly special, but there was something about the way he spoke to her, the way he held her, that calmed her down and no one else (not even Brooke) had ever managed to have that effect on her.

"Well, cheers to that," declared Clay, tipping back a can of Red Bull. "Call me a downer, but this has been the worse Spring Break ever_—_we had to bail early, B got arrested, I lost my father's car, and I am so _not_ drunk enough to be hearing about Hales pushing things out of her."

Haley glared at him in her patented annoyed-maternal-reprimanding way, "Excuse you, I will not be pushing out a _thing_. I'll be pushing out a baby_._"

"Yeah, Clay," added Jake, the first time any of them had seen him do the protective-soon-to-be-father thing, "That's my _daughter_ you're talking about. Just watch it, man." It suited him.

Brooke sat up a little, "Okay. I think it's safe to say we're all a little too sensitive right now, so how about we pull back. Campus is practically deserted, so we're the only people here." She said matter-of-factly, "Might as well play nice together."

Nate jumped off the counter, "I say it's time to roll outta here."

Jake rolled his eyes, "Yeah, speaking of," he said, "Why are you all still here?"

"'Cause we were drunk/hungover when we got back and yours was the closest place to crash." Deadpanned Rachel, always the pragmatic one.

"Plus the Sig house is boarded up for break, and the rest of us kind of live there." Added Nate as he tossed up the tiny basketball in the air and caught it. This was getting far too boring for his taste. "So c'mon. Lets go somewhere."

Rachel stood up, pulled Clay up with her, "Nate's right—for once. It's been a long couple of days. Hales could probably use the downtime. Jay-Jay, too. So lets go."

Always having each other's back, Brooke immediately got up, "I second that." She said, throwing an arm around her best friend's shoulders.

"We can figure out the where as we go." Added Rachel as she held on to Brooke's arm.

The determination on the redhead's face, Clay knew, left no room for argument. He simply took off his wife beater and handed it to her so she'd have something on other than the bikini. No one could say he wasn't chivalrous.

Nate grinned. "Sweet." He'd been dying to go out for hours, no need to convince him.

They exchanged the cursory goodbye hugs and kisses, Haley instructing them to check in and not stay out all night because she'll worry seeing that the town is pretty empty. (Insert the jokes about Mother Haley imposing curfews here.) She didn't need to add them acting like homeless hobos to her worry list. She already worried enough about them.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Myrtle Beach  
Logan's Beach House**

Luke woke up on a coffee table, surrounded by all sorts of junk food wrappers and mostly empty beer bottles. He was half-naked, wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, which were most definitely not his (he's always been strictly a boxer-brief man). What's more, he didn't even remember getting here (wherever '_here_' was right now), let alone passing out on a table—and part of what really bothered him was how much of a college cliché this entire moment was.

_What the fuck happened_?

With a severe pounding in his head, he slowly brought himself to his feet. Attempting to move was painful; his entire body felt like it was made of lead. He pressed the base of his palms against his fever-ridden temples in an attempt to stop the room from spinning, but it was to no avail.

"Fuck…" he muttered. It felt like something had died his mouth, his tongue was as rough as sandpaper. He gripped the nearest bottle and took a sip. It tasted like ass, but it at least moistened his mouth, and he couldn't exactly ask for much seeing as he had no clue as to where he was.

"Yep." Piped up Logan Echolls from somewhere behind him, "That morning hangover's a bitch."

Luke blinked a few times, "Logan," he said as if to reassure to himself who it was he was talking to, "Where are we, man? What time is it?"

Logan sat on the coffee table next to him, "1:30. Myrtle Beach. Beach House. Any of this coming back to you?" he handed him a bottle of water and a bottle of Tylenol, "You fucked up, bro." he announced.

Luke popped the cap from the Tylenol and threw back a few of the miracle pills, then proceeded to down the bottle of water in a single gulp. It was official: Logan Echolls was now his hero. "Uh, I remember a fight and jail and…_Brooke_."

Because Brooke was always at the center of everything—shit, when it came to Luke Scott, Brooke Davis was _everything_.

Logan nodded, "Well, that's it in a nutshell. You almost cost the house its charter, Scott. Clay Evans worked his magic and got you off, which means we're now indebted to the Sigs. Okay, you're lucky as shit you got out before they arraigned you. We are in serious drop-out-of-IFC's-radar mode. We're at fuckin' DEFCON one here. The rest of the house is already on a jitney back home."

"Dude, I feel like a truck just ran over me," Luke groaned, "Do you have to do the whole chewing me out thing _now_?"

"Uh, yeah, I kinda do," Logan deadpanned, "First off, I'm your President. This house, these guys—they're _my _responsibility. _You_'re my responsibility. So, yeah, I get to chew you out about this. Resisting arrest, drunk and disorderly, possession—all serious shit. You need to get your head outta your ass and get it together. Second of all…look, I know Jaglieski's your best friend. But Jay's married now, his kid's gonna be coming soon. He's outta the house, and focused on his responsibilities. You're gonna need someone to watch your back, make sure you don't do anything too stupid. I'm on your corner. You feel me, bro?"

Luke bumped the fist Logan had extended him, "Yeah, I feel ya," he said, "Thanks, man." He added with a grateful smile, "That why you're the only one who stayed behind with me?"

"Actually, Jay and your brother tried to take you back home with them, but this was something we had to handle in-house. Jay only got off 'cause he didn't want to send Haley back home alone. We had a meeting, decided it was best to call it a day, pack it up and head back home before anything else went down." Logan stood up, picked up his duffel from behind the couch, "Here," he tossed him a pair of board shorts, "You can rummage that for a shirt later. We leave in a couple of hours, dude."

Then a short blonde came trotting down the stairs in what was unmistakably Logan's favorite sleeveless beach t-shirt, "Logan," she called out. Paused when she spotted Luke, "Hi. Veronica." She said, directed a quick smile his way and motioned to herself as a way of introduction.

"Luke." The brooder answered back with a polite wave, "Pleasure."

"Same." The girl (apparently named Veronica) said, then she eyed Logan once more. "You coming back to be bed or what?"

Logan flashed her an endearing smirk, "You wound me—I thought I'd worn you out pretty good."

"Aw, don't let your masculinity be threatened, Echolls." The blonde whirlwind replied, "Tiny girl, big stamina. You up for the challenge?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed and amused, "Oh, I'm just like the Duracell Bunny. I go on and on." He grinned, "Be up in a minute, bobcat." And with that, the girl disappeared back upstairs.

A short yet awkward silence settled between them. "That one's far too short and far too blonde to pass off as Rebecca Logan, dude. What happened?"

"That's Veronica Mars." Logan said plainly, and there was something about the way he said her name that said nothing and everything at the same time. He cleared his throat, "Becks and I broke up a few weeks ago. And I bumped into Veronica here. She told me she's transferring. Turns out Duke's got a killer criminology program."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "_That_'s Veronica Mars? The one who's '_spanning years and continents, lives ruined, bloodshed_'?"

"Man, Veronica…she's the one who's _everything_. We had something together, and I've never been able to put it exactly into words—which is a first for me—and then I spent all this time trying to find that _it_ in other things and with other people…and it was never, ever been what we had together. It's why I broke up with Rebecca. I cared about her—I might've even loved her—but it wasn't the same. It wasn't everything."

"Yeah, well, once you've had everything, nothing else ever measures up."

Logan raised an eyebrow, "You and B?" he questioned, already knowing the answer. (Because like he'd said before, when it came to Luke Scott, Brooke Davis was usually the answer.) "Look, the truth is you're always going to feel this way about each other. That first love ignites…_something_ in you. It's the kind of thing that never really dies down, never fades. It's always there."

Luke kinked his eyebrows—he was so _not_ sober enough to discuss him and Brooke right now—and then he shrugged, decided it was best to change the subject. "I like her." He said about Veronica. "She seems…sassy."

Logan smirked almost nostalgically, "Never underestimate the sassy. Very important." He said, "Get changed, sober up…should probably shower. Might wanna check out your back, bro." he punched his shoulder before heading towards the stairs.

"Wha…" Luke stood up and checked out his back in the mirrored wall behind the bar—it was completely graffitied over in black Sharpie ink: **DOUCHE BAG** was written between his shoulder blades (a new moniker for risking the house) in bold letters, **Phis** **RULE!**, **ΦΔΘ**** 4-life**, **_B. Davis' Whipped Boy_**, plus a couple of games of tic-tac-toe and some pornographic sketches. "Nice. Thanks for being on my corner, dude."

"Hey, I totally had your back, bro." called out Logan as he trotted up the stairs, "I told them not the face."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Funny, man," he muttered, checked his back out once more.

_This shit's gonna take forever to wash-out_.

-xx-

**Thursday  
On The Road**

Luke was sitting on the backseat of a Saturn. Upfront, Logan was ridding shotgun, Veronica was at the wheel—it was her car. They've been on the road for a few minutes now. From the backseat, Luke chuckled, "Veronica Mars drives a Saturn." He quipped, "Nice symmetry to that."

The blonde smirked, eyed him in the rearview mirror, "Not the first one to make that joke, bub," she told him, "but nice try anyways."

He was far more sober now, more pieces of his time in lockup had been coming back to him, and his head was no longer banging. The drive back to Durham wasn't that long, but they were still a few hours out. Logan and Veronica had been fighting over the radio for a while now, finally setting for a Something Happens song.

"So, Lucas Scott," started Veronica, "Tell me, what's your story?"

Luke eyed Logan who in turn raised his hands as in surrender, "Might as well tell her, bro," he advised, "She'll just drag it out of ya if you don't. Secrets have a way of digging themselves out when she's around."

The girl looked all tiny and sweet, but there was something about her energy that just screamed pit-bull rather than Chihuahua. (It made him think of Brooke—seemingly harmless, seriously lethal.) "Um, not much of a story. Just another basketball player from Duke."

"Really?" Veronica pressed on, "You're among the top five highest ranked players, and you're pretty high among the top scorers, too. There's been talk about you declaring for the draft next year, in fact some people still wonder why you didn't declare _this_ year. So it seems to me that you're more than _just_ another basketball player. But getting busted for underage drinking, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, possession and resisting arrest might kill that promising basketball career of yours. Now, the real question is: why would a guy with such a bright future act so recklessly?"

Luke went slack-jawed for a second—_yep, definitely lethal_. "That's some interesting pillow-talk you two have." He answered, avoiding the question while glaring at Logan.

"Sorry, dude," Logan apologized, clearly not sorry at all, "But this one could break a CIA Agent. Look, just talk to her, man. She's actually really good at this stuff—not so much in her own relationships, but _great_ with other people's problems!" That comment earned a very painful arm-punch, "_Ouch_!" he whined, rubbing his soon-to-be-bruised arm, "Sorry, sugarpuss. That came out wrong."

Veronica's eyes met his on the rearview mirror once more: "Come on. We've got a three-hour drive ahead of us, at least. Might as well get to know each other." She suggested rather reasonably, "You tell me what's up with you, and I'll…tell you something about me."

At this, Logan straightened up in the passenger seat, "Take the deal, man."

Luke eyed the couple for a second. "Oh, what the hell," he gave in, "it sure as shit can't make things any more complicated than they are now." He concluded before letting out a breath as if steadying himself for a fight: "So there's this girl, her name's Brooke Davis…"

-xx-

**Thursday  
Durham**

It's a rather stupid idea, and they all realized this as soon as they came up with it. But then again, stupid ideas were what they did best.

Breaking into Al's for a few drinks and no waiting for the pool tables. (Though they'd established early on that it was _not_ breaking and entering if you had a key, which Alex Dupre did.)

With no cash, no wheels and nowhere to go, Nate, Brooke, Clay and Rachel grew extremely bored rather quickly. Clay's wheels were in New York, Brooke's Bug was in the shop, Bevin and Skills had taken Rachel's Denali for the break, and Peyton had taken Nate's Jeep down to Myrtle Beach.

And children of privilege never did well when you took away their toys.

Their usual bars were closed, and the other tamer ideas of hangout spots such as the 24/7 Bowling Alley or mini-golf didn't particularly appeal to any of them.

It was then that Alex had phoned Nate, telling him that she'd bailed out on Myrtle Beach shortly after he did. Asking if he'd come get her at the bus depot, that she had an idea of something they could do. She'd taken on a part-time job bartending for Al's, and gotten a copy of the bar's keys.

Therefore, the outing was totally legit.

Alex stood behind the bar pouring a few beers from the tap. Nate was sitting atop of it smirking—he was in full on flirt mode. Brooke was zoned out playing pool—it'd always relaxed her since it was one of the things that she'd always been able to do well.

Meanwhile, Clay was rummaging through the liquor bottles searching the Blue Curacao. "Aha!" he exclaimed having found it, and then proceeded to busy himself pouring into various shot glasses. He was making something flaming—which was dangerous in and of itself.

Rachel stood by the dilapidated jukebox looking for a tune. Finally, she settled for an old Stones' song.

'_You Can't Always Get What You Want_' blasted throughout the practically empty bar.

"Right on," declared Brooke, walking away from the pull table as she swayed along to the beat, improvising an old dance along with Rachel. "Best Stones' song ever!" they declared in a fit of giggles.

Clay wolf-whistled then, "And drinks are ready!" he said, "Listen up, everyone." He'd lined out five highball glasses filled with white and dark rum, a shot glass of Blue Curacao next to each. "Right, so, I light 'em up, suck through straw as you pour in the shot glass into it." He explained as he lit up the glasses.

They did as told and winced at the taste—it was far too early to be drinking Clay's cocktails.

Shortly after, even the thrill of having Al's as their personal playground wore off. Alex, Nate and Clay enthralled themselves competing with each other on the Dunk It basketball machines (Nate, aka the number one ranked player in college basketball, was kicking both their asses.)

Brooke and Rachel had cooled it on the alcohol, and were sitting atop the bar, sipping their Dasani bottles. "How'd the Big House treat ya?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, "How long are you gonna be doing the jailbird jokes?"

"Not gonna lie, it's gonna be a while before they get old."

At that they both chuckled, "Seriously, how was it being in such a confined space with Luke?"

Brooke smiled, her face lighting up, "It was fun. He was stoned off his head—White Mike sold him the good stuff 'cause the high lasted a long time. He was really mellow and…I don't know, for a minute there it was like before. Light and easy, zero angst." She fingered the necklace he'd placed around her neck a few hours earlier. "I miss him."

Rachel eyed her best friend carefully. As of late the she'd been growing more and more worried about her. The push-and-pull with Luke was killing her, and the redhead was seriously concerned. "You know, and I say this from a place of love, maybe you should see a counselor or a therapist or something."

"Seriously." Brooke raised an eyebrow skeptically, "_You_'re suggesting shrink patrol?"

"It's _not_ all a bunch of psychobabble." Rachel defended, then sighed, "Look, remember my eight boarding school?"

"Chilton?"

"The one_ before_ that."

"Constance?"

"The one _after_ that."

"Hanover?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Rachel, "Right. Well, I was on the verge of another expulsion, and the guidance counselor was being a pain in my perfectly shaped ass, and she told me that if I had a couple of sessions with the school's psychologist, she'd let me off the hook. So I did. It wasn't that bad."

Brooke furrowed her brow—she was from a family of WASPs. Talking about feelings just wasn't the way to handle things. You pushed your emotions under the rug, avoided unnecessary things such as confrontation and uncomfortable feelings. Burying it was always a much better solution than talking about it. "And, what, did it _fix_ you? Make you all happy and sane and lovable?"

"Not particularly." Rachel answered objectively, "But I _did_ stop fucking my 30-year-old, married, Latin professor. I wasn't a whole new person or some bullshit like that. I just realized that some of the fucked up things I do, I do because I _want_ to do them. But others I do because I had this notion that things were always gonna crumble down around me, so I did self-destructive things to sabotage myself. Once you're _aware_ of your shit, it's much easier to overcome it."

Then Clay called out: "Yo, check this out!" he said from the back storage room.

Two years coming here and they'd never once been allowed in the back. Nate, Alex and Brooke all follow after Clay entering the slightly cramped room and start rummaging through the shelves, curiosity getting the best of them. "Where's Freckles?" asked Clay.

"Putting on another song." Replied Brooke, sitting Indian style on the floor while checking out a box of discontinued menus, "She's coming. This is so weird. I didn't even _know_ Al's had a backroom.

Alex jumped onto a lower shelf to pull down a box that was hidden high up, "Yeah, Al doesn't let anyone back here, actually. I'm new, but Charlie's been working here for, like, three years and he still doesn't get to come in here."

Rachel walked into the room, closing the door behind her, "Intrigue." The redhead chuckled, taking the box out of her hands so she can jump off easily. "Though I can kinda see why he doesn't let us in the back. How many brawls have we started off in here?"

"Far too many to count." Answered Nate.

Honestly, property damage alone was enough reason to ban them all from ever setting foot in the bar again.

Brooke, Alex and Rachel were now huddled up on the floor pouring over the contents of the box. It wasn't much. The remnants of a shot glass collection, random packets of sugar, some old papers, mostly miscellaneous stuff. "Ooh! Unidentified, unlabeled liquor bottle!" exclaimed Rachel as she pulled out an old bottle filled with a greenish liquid.

Nate smirked, "I'll get the glasses." He said as he headed for the door. He tried the handle, "Um, guys," he said, "We have a problem."

After a few minutes they concluded that the doorknob was busted and would only open from the outside. Normally that wouldn't have been a big deal, they'd do the usual: call Haley and Jake to bail them out.

But the girls' phones were on the bar along with Clay's and Nate's phone was dead.

Naturally, the next step after that was to lay blame on each other—it was Rachel's fault for locking the door, Clay's fault for having borrowed the iPhones to play Tetris, Brooke's fault for suggesting they check the place out, Nate's fault for being too lazy to charge his cell, Alex's fault for suggesting this stupid idea in the first place—and wasn't this kind of cheesy crap only supposed to happen in stupid movies, anyway?

Then they resigned themselves that, for the next few hours, they were stuck in there and they might as well make the best of it.

The best of it meaning to down the booze, of course.

Rachel and Clay find the taste eerily familiar, but can't quite place where they've tasted it before.

And whether it tasted familiar or unlike anything they'd ever had before, the shit was _strong_. It's at Brooke's suggestion that they topped it with sugar, and it somehow enhanced the taste.

The liqueur hit them hard and fast, a euphoric feeling washed over them and they were most definitely half-past-fucked drunk off their asses. Alex was giggling uncontrollably. Clay and Rachel seemed to have lost all sense of self-control and were merely seconds away from ripping each other's clothes off (and they weren't wearing many, the redhead's top had been discarded long ago). Brooke and Nate were oddly focused on an overly intense game of thumb wrestling.

Finally, when it looked like Clay was about to pull off her bikini bottom, Alex suggested they play Kiss or Tell.

The rules were simple (a sort of Truth or Dare): someone asks you a question and you either answer it or kiss whoever asked it.

It helped them kill time easily enough. Besides, they were so far gone that everything was incredibly amusing. Clay and Nate particularly enjoyed when Brooke asked Rachel who was a better lay, Clay or Nate, and rather than answer, the redhead planted one on her.

They weren't exactly sure how much time had passed, but the bottle was nearly empty and they had a feeling that it'd been a while.

-xx-

**Thursday  
On The Road**

They'd been on the road for almost three hours, and they were finally reaching Durham.

Luke had spent most of that time relating the story of how he met, hooked up with, and eventually crashed and burned with Brooke Davis.

"Okay, so back it up again," said Veronica in disbelief, "This was all after she slept with your brother? Like, your _brother_-brother not one of your frat-brothers?"

"Yes, it was my_ brother_-brother. My twin brother, actually." Luke amended matter-of-factly, "We're not identical or anything. In fact, we're practically polar opposites."

Veronica eyed him carefully, "So, enlighten us: what makes it worth it? Clearly you've both put each other through hell. The push-and-pull, cat-and-mouse, all-take-and-no-give game you two had went on for far too long, but then when you stepped up, she shot you down. Last night could've cost you your _future_. Why is Brooke Davis worth everything?"

Luke sighed, and a smile tugged the corner of his lips. "She's The One." He said, fully aware of how much of a cliché that answer was.

"Why?"

"She just _is_. I _feel _it." The brooder answered, not a trace of doubt in his voice. "You know, Pascal says the heart has reasons that reason cannot know. You should understand it, Ronnie," Luke told her with the patented Scott smirk, "We're epic, too. Spanning years and continents, lives ruined, bloodshed. _Epic_."

At this Logan grinned proudly, "I totally taught him that line!"

"Aw, babe!" Veronica exclaimed, leaning over to peck her boyfriend's lips, "That is so sweet. And here I always thought you'd been too drunk to remember anything that happened that night." She cooed mockingly.

Logan smirked, "At first, but I have _excellent_ recall."

Luke watched them sneak a kiss while Veronica tried not to go off the road. He'd heard enough snippets to know that they had a turbulent relationship filled with murders and dead best friends and a crazy as shit town.

He thought that if those two could find a way back to each other, he and Brooke should be able to the same.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Durham**

Haley squinted as she inspected the screen of her iPhone carefully. Jake walked alongside her, "Babe, c'mon, I'm sure nothing's wrong. Let's just get you back into bed."

They'd driven around all of Greek Row, but ended up at Beale Street. They parked on the corner and walked around the block for a while following Haley's oftentimes wrong directions.

"Jake, come on!" whined Haley, "I feel fine, and I've been calling Brooke and Rae's cell phones for over an hour and gotten nothing. I'm seriously worried here. Why aren't you?"

Jake sighed, "'Cause they've gone on all-nighters—hell, they've gone on full-on weekend binges before. It's _normal_ for them." He was now entirely convinced that this over-the-top worry of Haley was the result of yet another hormonal outburst. "And, really, how much trust do you wanna put into that 99 cent app to track down B's iPhone?"

"It's working!" she insisted, showing him her phone's screen with the blinking arrow on the map leading to Brooke's phone, "And I'm fully aware that they're all seriously unbalanced individuals who need to fully intoxicate themselves to have a good time, but Brooke _always_ calls or at least texts. And campus is all creepy empty right now, the only people left are the weirdos and the looters!"

Jake sighed heavily, caving in upon seeing the worry etched on his wife's face, "Alright, fine," he relented, took the iPhone out of her hands, "But I'm navigating this field trip now, and if we don't find them within the next half-hour, I'm bringing you back to the apartment even if I have to carry you all the way there." He told her seriously, "You _need_ to rest." He finished, cradled her face in his hands and kissed her forehead gently.

Haley smiled—it was always extremely sweet the way Jake took care of her. He was as overly protective as she was overly hormonal during the pregnancy. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well," Jake grinned shyly as he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, "don't thank me just yet. We still haven't found them."

The couple continued their walk down Beale Street, which was the street that housed all the college bars and pubs. Jake hated to admit that Haley had been right, but it really _was_ creepy empty here.

"Okay, okay," Jake said, stopping, "Um, I think this is it…"

Haley scrunched up her nose, "Al's?" she questioned skeptically, "Are you sure? It's closed, and I don't think they'd disappear all day here. Not without calling, at least."

Jake shrugged, "I don't know. Look, this is where it tracked B's iPhone. It's pretty much the only lead. Lets have a look around, and if they're not we're going _home_."

"As promised," Haley sighed. They tried the front door and were surprised to find it open. "Tigger! Rach!" Haley called out.

"Nate, Clay!" echoed Jake as he pulled his phone from his board shorts' pocket. "I'm dialing, Brooke." He announced.

The song from _500 Days of Summer_ filled the bar—Haley immediately recognized it as Brooke's ringtone. "Well, at least her phone's here." The honey-blonde declared, following the music all the way to the bar-top. "Found it!" she called out, "Along with Rachel's, Clay's and…I've no idea whose phone this is."

Jake shrugged, cupping his hands around his mouth, "BROOKE!" he yelled loudly this time, "Rachel, Clay! You guys here?"

"Wait, wait," said Haley, pressing a finger to her lips indicating him to be quiet. They heard a loud thud coming from the back and went to check it out. "It's coming from the storage room, I think."

Jake stepped in front of her protectively, "Alright, lets check it out, babe." The doorknob was a little rusty, but with a little wiggling it opened up.

The Troublesome Foursome—Clay, Rachel, Nate and Brooke—were huddled up on the floor, along with Alex Dupre, surrounded by a bunch of open boxes. A whole wall of shelves had crashed down, shattering everything that was stacked up on it. The entire storage room was a wreck.

"Oh, my god…" Jake let out a heavy sigh followed by a wry chuckle, "What the hell did you guys do?" He spotted an old empty bottle rolling around the floor, "Better yet, what did you guys _drink_?"

Upon a fit of laughter and mumbling they discover that they're unaware of what exactly it is they drank. Haley grabbed the bottle, the smell hit her nostrils instantly, "Oh my god is right," she declared, "I'm pretty positive this is absinthe, or at least it was before they downed the whole bottle."

"Isn't absinthe illegal?" Jake asked.

Haley nodded, "Oh, it is," she assured him, "Um, Taylor smuggled a bottle in one summer. That thing is the Devil's drink. It'll seriously fuck them up." She pinched Brooke's chin between her thumb and forefinger and forced the brunette to look her in the eyes, "I think they're just experiencing some of the hallucinogenic effects. They _should_ be okay."

Jake parked them all on the empty barstools and Haley stayed watching them while he brought the car around—no way in hell they could've all walked over to the car.

Getting them all to sit down still in the back of Jake's Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck takes some bribing and a lot of sweet-talking, but they do it. Of course they all ended up back at the Jaley apartment, and Haley put them all to bed.

When the soon-to-be mother crashed into her own bed, she felt pretty drained. Jake walked into their bedroom, "Luke just texted. He's alive and well. Logan drove him down here, and he's gonna drop by tomorrow. How about the rest of 'em?"

"Safely asleep. _Finally_." Answered Haley cuddling up into her husband's chest, "It's been a _long_ day."

Jake smiled, "Look at it this way, hon," he said, "If we can handle all this, a baby really should be no problem." At that the couple laughed, blinking off to sleep.

-xx-

**Friday  
Jaley's Apartment**

Brooke Davis had woken up in an inflatable mattress on the floor of her old bedroom (now turned nursery). Rachel was snoring lightly, asleep next to her. She spotted a bottle of Vitamin Water next to her on the floor, accompanied by a note.

_Tigger: _

_Out for coffee. Will bring you a double latte, extra foam. Advil in the kitchen. _

_—H_

Brooke rose up to her feet slowly, chucking down the contents of the water bottle immediately. "Ugh," she groaned, "God bless Haley." She muttered, stretching her arms over her head and walked towards the kitchen.

She was still wearing her short shorts and tank top over her bikini. She desperately needed a shower.

The small Advil bottle was clearly visible on the kitchen counter and she downed three with what was left of the water bottle. The clock blinked that it was fifteen past nine. Usually a little earlier than she was used to getting up, but despite last night's drinking escapades, she'd gotten to bed pretty early.

She rummaged the linen closet for a clean towel and stole some clothes from Haley's closet.

Later, she walked out towel drying her hair and spotted Haley reading the paper while Jake cooked something. "It lives!" Haley joked upon spotting her, "Hello, Tig, how's the hangover?"

"Three Advils, two water bottles and one shower later it's not so bad." Answered Brooke sitting on the kitchen stool across from Haley's, "You're an angel, by the way. Thanks for taking care of us. One day soon, I promise we'll get our acts together and you won't have to."

"Yeah, I want that in writing." Chimed in Jake as he flipped something in the pan, "I'm making pancakes, by the way. You want a stack?"

Brooke grinned, "Definitely."

"A tip for the future: stay away from the absinthe." Added Haley before taking a sip from her decaf cappuccino. "Said it once and I'll say it again, it is the Devil's drink."

Hazel eyes widened, "That was absinthe?" she questioned, "Ugh, I am so not drinking unlabeled liqueur ever again."

"Smuggling absinthe." Jake raised an eyebrow, "Which one of you geniuses came up with that brilliant idea?"

"Technically we didn't smuggle anything," started Brooke, "It was in a box Al had in storage. I didn't even know it was absinthe. God, no wonder Clay and Rachel thought it tasted familiar. They both did a year at St. Sebastian's. Downing a liter of absinthe is, like, the initiation at that place."

Haley chuckled somewhat wryly, "You three have lived such a privileged existence." She said sarcastically, "Seriously, you're lucky you didn't get poisoned or anything—absinthe can be _toxic_. It's also illegal."

"How was I supposed to know Al had illegal booze?"

"Speaking of Al's," added Jake, "You guys left a mess at the bar, and totaled the storage room."

Brooke ran her fingers through her hair, "Shit!" she exclaimed, "Oh my god, we _broke_ into Al's. Ugh, I gotta go. I gotta clean the place up—he's gonna kill us. It's a miracle he hasn't permanently banned us yet."

"What about breakfast?" asked Jake.

Brooke improvised a homemade version of the McGriddle and ate it as a sandwich. "When they wake up, send them to Al's. We have to make the place spotless. Mm, Jay, can I borrow your truck?"

Jake sighed, "Keys are on the bowl."

With that, the brunette ran towards the door, screaming out a 'thanks!' before disappearing.

-xx-

**Friday  
Al's Backyard**

Luke walked into Al's Backyard, hands tucked in his cargo pants' pockets. His navy-blue eyes automatically locked on tiny brunette who was busily sweeping the floor behind the bar. "Hey," he greeted, sitting down on a barstool in front of her.

"Hi, Reefer!" Brooke greeted back, smiling widely, "You're back! I thought Logan had kept you back at the beach house."

Luke nodded, "Yeah, he did." He then proceeded to fill her in on how he got back here. "Hales told me you were down here cleaning up."

"Yeah. It took a while, but we're pretty much done. Nate and Clay went to get some tools to mount up the shelves in the storage. Alex and Rachel are out trying to track down a bottle of absinthe." At that he gave her a quizzical look, "Don't ask. It's a long story."

Luke grinned, "And speaking of long stories," he started, "I've been thinking about our time in lockup. It's still a little fuzzy, but it's been coming back to me."

"Never trust doped up memories, Luke." Brooke advised with a wicked smile, "They tend to be unreliable."

"By now, no amount of dope or alcohol can dissipate the feeling of my lips on yours, baby." Luke replied confidently. He'd kissed those ruby-red lips enough times to know what they felt like. "It was real. I'm certain. It's some of the other stuff I'm little blurry on." He got up, circled the bar and towered over her. "Like: I vaguely remember giving this to you." He said as he fingered the necklace dangling from her neck. "Was that when I kissed you?"

Brooke looked away. He was standing way too close for comfort—she could feel the body heat radiating from him. "It's not twenty questions, Luke. You get whatever memories you manage to remember."

"Well, that's not fair."

"Life's not fair." Brooke replied with a shrug, "Either way, I was just going to suggest that we be friends."

"Friends?" Luke furrowed his brow, "We _are_ friends."

"No, _just_ friends." Brooke amended, and smiled that irresistible dimpled smile that she was so well known for. Because they _weren_'t friends—had never _really_ been friends—as of late they'd been friend_ly_.

Luke chuckled at her logic, "Oh, _just_ friends." He repeated with a smile, "When have we ever been _just_ friends?"

"We were just friends for two hours once. The day we met." Brooke said, "And then had sex in the back of your car. But I, for one, would commit this time to _not_ have sex with you—in the back of a car or anywhere else for that matter."

The patented Scott smirk spread across Luke's lips, "Well, that's a shame. I quite enjoyed having sex with you in the back of my car…and various other locations." He said, "But I guess it's a start. Friends. Some's better than none, right?"

"Right."

"And besides," the brooder started, "This thing between us," Luke said, a somewhat sad half-smile graced his lips, "it's never gonna go away. It's always gonna be there. Just beneath the surface. So…who says this won't be something more?"

Brooke smiled almost nostalgically, "Well, it's always something more with us, isn't it?"

Luke only smirked. _Yes. It most certainly always is something more_.

-xx-

**Monday  
Dr. Todd's Office**

Brooke sat in the office's empty waiting room and patiently waited for her name to be called while she absentmindedly browsed a magazine. It felt inherently weird, being in a psychiatrist's office. Her spidey-senses were tingling and her carefully honed instinct to bolt was starting to act up.

Her hazel eyes kept glancing towards the door, her reflexes prompting her to run and get the hell out.

"Ms. Davis," called out the secretary. Brooke looked up upon hearing her name. "You can go right on in." With a smile and a polite nod, the brunette made her way into the office and sat down on the couch.

Doctor Todd looked at the file, "Ms. Davis—Brooke." she said, "What brings you here today?"


	34. There May Be Hope For You Yet

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**AN**:** Good to know you guys are still reading. Shout out to everyone who reviewed. Also, this story is kind of nearing its end.**

**It's just that time.**

**Read on, dudes.**

**The Rules Of Attraction**

_There May Be Hope For You Yet_

-xx-

**Friday  
Dr. Rachel Todd's Office  
Duke Psychiatry **

Brooke Davis was once again sitting down on the therapist's couch.

It'd been a few weeks since their return from Myrtle Beach. (A few weeks since the whole being-friends-with-Luke thing.) They were all pretty much back to the same routine. Clay and Rachel continued to have sex in weirdly inappropriate places. Jake and Haley continued the seemingly endless preparation for their soon-to-be born baby girl. Nate had oddly enough taken to hanging out with Alex. Luke was back to his womanizing ways, finding a new girl to take back to the house whenever he felt lonely. And Brooke continued to give therapy a try. Their dynamic was somewhat awkward now—Luke had poured out too much of his heart and Brooke hadn't poured out enough of hers, and it seemed that they'd forever be walking on glass around each other.

Sitting there was uncomfortable enough; she couldn't imagine how anyone would actually lie down there. It was her fifth session with Dr. Rachel Todd and she wasn't sure what exactly was supposed to be happening here.

Neither she nor the psychiatrist had talked much. The shrink mostly asked her questions and stared her down. Brooke usually answered vaguely. Yet no matter how short her answers, the woman always managed to have something to scribble down.

Brooke sometimes wondered how hard it'd be to swipe the stupid notebook.

"Brooke," said Dr. Rachel Todd in her best soothing voice, "This is your fifth session here. You still haven said much. In fact, you still haven't answered the first question I asked you: what brings you here?"

The brunette's hazel eyes darted away, focusing on the knitted hands in her lap. "You dodge the question when I ask you about your family. You make a joke when I ask about your relationships. I am happy with the quiet-time, but the point of therapy is to help you."

"You know who I am," It wasn't exactly a statement, but it wasn't a question, either.

Dr. Rachel Todd, "You are Brooke Davis. A sophomore college student, just turned twenty."

"Not what I put down on the form." Brooke shook her head, "You must know my name. I'm one of _those_ Davises." She motioned to a copy of the New Yorker on the shrink's desk. The magazine had done a spread on her family last month. "So you know who my parents are, who my family is. What more is there to say?"

"I try not to believe everything I read, Brooke." Dr. Rachel Todd answered, "But this isn't about me. And it isn't about your family, for that matter. It's about _you_. You're not here by another physician's referral. So, something happened to bring you here. And I think your time with me is best spent if we can discuss what that something is."

Brooke pursed her lips in thought. "My friend Rachel told me about therapy. She suggested it."

"And why did she suggest it?"

"She said it helped her stop doing self-destructive things. Made her aware of why she acted the way she did."

This made Dr. Rachel Todd write something down, "And do you consider that _you_ engage in self-destructive behavior? Or do you consider yourself to have a healthy behavioral pattern?"

Brooke's eyes darted down to her hands again. "I think…" she licked her lips, "I think I can't tell the difference anymore."

-xx-

**Friday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke woke up startled. He'd rolled over in his bed and was surprised to find a warm body asleep next to his. Long locks of golden blonde hair were scattered messily across the duke-blue of his sheets and pillows, the girl's vibrant emerald-green eyes fluttered open. "Hi." She muttered with a lazy smile.

"Um…hey." Luke greeted back, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "You're still here…" it's supposed to be a statement, but there's a hint of a question.

Christ, he couldn't remember this chick's _name_ to save his life. And she was still there. In his bed. Naked under his sheets. Was fast asleep with him less than a minute ago. Holy awkward morning after, Batman.

The girl sat up, resting her weight on her elbows, long locks of blonde hair cascading messily down her shoulders. "Yes." She answered easily, "And you look very surprised."

He _was_ very fucking surprised. It was a well-known fact throughout campus that Luke Scott's specialty was hit-it-and-quit-it—Brooke Davis exempted. Girls usually fell into his bed at nighttime and ran out the door at first light. "Most girls don't usually do."

"Well, I'm not most girls. I may be easy, but I'm not sleazy."

Luke chuckled. "No. Apparently, you are not." He glanced at the clock. It was still painfully early. "Look, I'm gonna grab a couple of more hours of sleep."

She sank back into the mattress, eyes automatically fluttering closed. "Wake me up in time for breakfast." She said, and though it wasn't an order, it left no room for questioning either.

Luke eyed her carefully. _So, she's staying for breakfast now_?

Whatever happened to the quick and easy one-night stand?

-xx-

**Friday  
Dr. Rachel Todd's Office  
****Duke Psychiatry**

Dr. Rachel Todd scribbled another note (and by now Brooke wanted to rip the pad out of her hands and read just what it is the woman kept writing about), "What do you think went wrong in your relationship with Lucas?"

Brooke once again knitted her fingers together in her lap. It was oddly formal to hear someone call Luke '_Lucas_'. "I don't know. It's complicated, my relationship with Luke." She'd never been easily shamed, but there was something eerily similar to sitting on the shrink's couch and the whole naked-in-front-of-everyone dream. "I guess everything went wrong."

"And what do you mean by everything?"

"We broke up fighting—we did most things fighting—so we parted less than amicably. And we didn't have any space 'cause we're constantly thrown together for everything: same friends, same class, same hangout spots." Brooke paused, sighed, "And then he wanted to get serious. He wanted it to be real… So, naturally, I bolted. I ended up unbelievably intoxicated and wound up sleeping with the worst possible person—his twin brother, who's also a really close friend."

This sparked off something in Dr. Rachel Todd who paused her scribbling to study the brunette's face. "His _twin_ brother?"

"They're not identical or anything. I didn't mix them up or anything." Brooke clarified. "It was just wrong place, wrong time, and most definitely wrong person."

"Wrong thing to do?" Brooke eyed her skeptically, not quite understanding the question. "You said he wanted it to get real. He made some sort of declaration of his real feelings for you, and you proceeded to get drunk and have sexual relations with his brother. You claim it was the wrong time with the wrong person. So, do you believe it was wrong to have sex with his brother or do you believe it was wrong to 'bolt'—as you put it—and have sex with someone else period?"

Brooke pursed her lips in thought. "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. I mean, he slept with someone else that night, too. With us—with Luke and I—sex was about…wanting, and I guess that at some point it was about…our feelings for each other. But when I'm with somebody else, sex is just about lust. The instant gratification of a warm body next to yours. Not having to spend another night alone. But also hating to wake up next to someone who you have no connection to. Someone who you just want to go away and disappear like it never happened. Like the whole thing wasn't real."

"So sex is how you deal with loneliness?"

The brunette raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, "How's that relevant?"

"Well, it's relevant because intent and motive are what makes sex interesting. Why do two people have sex? So many answers to that question: They're in love. They're in lust. They're hurting over someone or something. They're in pain. They're trying to forget. They're looking for a distraction." Dr. Rachel Todd's eyes burrowed into Brooke's face until the brunette surrendered and made eye contact. "Maybe they're just looking to _feel_. I think that once you get to root of why it's Lucas who you always want to turn to first for that comfort, then you'll realize why your relationship isn't over. Why it's become this…unresolved thing following you around, and ultimately weighing you down. And once you find that out, you can try to start over. Or you can end the relationship completely. As much as I don't like to use the word, because I find it to be a little trite in situations like these, you'll never move forward one way or the other until you get closure."

"Closure…" The word sounded funny to her ears, it rolled unfamiliarly off her tongue.

"I want you to try something." Dr. Rachel Todd prompted. "It's Friday, I assume you have plans for the weekend? Do what you normally when you're out with your friends, have fun. But this weekend, when the night's coming to a close, don't look for someone to warm your bed tonight. Go home alone. See how it feels, not always getting instant gratification. And then we'll talk about it again next week."

Brooke got up from the couch and slung her backpack over her shoulders. "So, just to be clear, my homework is…to not get laid?"

"Yes." Dr. Rachel Todd answered with a smile more skeptic than that of the Mona Lisa. "And I'll see you next week, Brooke."

-xx-

**Friday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

Luke woke up to the sound of a loud thud. His navy-blue eyes landed on the blonde currently struggling to slip on her jeans without tripping over herself. "Sorry!" she said with a wince, "I didn't mean to wake you." She proceeded gathering her stuff off the bedroom floor.

"No problem." Luke sat up on his bed. He stretched his arms over his head and ran a hand through his messy blonde locks of hair. "It's about time for some breakfast, anyway." He leaned over the side of the bed, his hand rummaging the floor for his boxer-briefs. He slid them on and got up, stretching his arms once more.

"Ouch! Dammit!" the girl shrieked. Luke turned around and saw her balancing herself on her right foot, while rubbing her left shin. "You have a lot of books." She gesticulated towards a pile she'd accidentally knocked over, and proceeded to try to tidy them up once more.

Luke made a gesture indicating that she should leave it. His room was never exactly tidy anyway. "Hey," she exclaimed with a sparkling smile, "You have 'The Beautiful and The Damned'. I love that book."

Luke raised a skeptical eyebrow, looking at her as if he were amazed the blonde girl could read, let alone have enough focus to finish the whole book. Then the blonde girl cleared her throat somewhat cockily. "_All the time something within her was crying for a decision. She wanted her life shaped now, immediately_…" she cited with the confident air of someone who knows the story by heart. "That's my favorite quote. I've been told I'm impatient. Do you have any favorites?" she challenged, extending the book towards him.

"Um," Luke cleared his throat, licked his lips. "_Things are sweeter when they're lost. I know—because once I wanted something and got it. It was the only thing I ever wanted badly, Dot, and when I got it it turned to dust in my hand_." He cited equally confident. "Something about getting what you want and having it slip through your fingers… I'm painfully aware of the feeling."

"You don't seem like the kind of guy who suffers for a lack of getting whatever he wants."

The Brooder cracked a grin at that, "You don't seem like the kind of girl who wants her life shaped."

"Touché." She replied, and chuckled, "What's your name, anyways?"

A wave of surprise crashed against Luke—girls always knew who he was. He's Luke Scott, Blue Devils' basketball star. Then again, he didn't know her name, either. "Luke." He told her, "Luke Scott. What's _your_ name?"

"Caroline Forbes." She answered, "And I'm hungry. Think there's any grub downstairs?" She didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she picked one of his jerseys off the floor and slid it on over her lacy black bra before disappearing out the door.

Luke picked up the copy of 'The Beautiful and The Damned' that Caroline Forbes had placed on his bed. It wasn't really his. It was Brooke's. Her name was hastily scribbled on the inside cover in her loopy, rushed-yet-neat calligraphy.

He flipped through the pages, stopping on a highlighted passage. "_Everywhere we go and move on and change, something's lost_—_something's left behind. You can't ever quite repeat anything_," He always figured that was the brunette's favorite passage. There was something ironic about both of them relating to the concept of loss.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Sigma Chi House**

The large Sigma Chi kitchen was filled with noise. Rachel stood by the stove with Lindsay James whipping up some French toast. Most guys were out (there'd been a midnight panty raid at the Tri-Delt house), and the long living room table was mostly empty.

Owen sat at the head of the table reading the morning paper. Brooke was next to him, engaged in a heavy game of bagel hockey with Piz. Tim was passed out half-naked on the living room table.

Then a boxer-clad Clay walked into the kitchen. He nodded a 'good morning' towards Brooke, and moved to stand behind Rachel. His strong arms circled her waist, "Mornin', Freckles," he breathed against her nape of her neck, "Smells good."

A sly smile spread across the redhead's lips, "Me or the French toast?"

"Both." Clay answered, licked his lips before sucking on that spot on her neck, "But you taste infinitely better."

It somehow managed to make the redhead horny and giggle, "Quit it!" she squealed, "I'm going to mess up breakfast."

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Clay mocked, nibbled her earlobe. He smacked her ass before jumping up on the kitchen counter next to her. "I love a woman who makes breakfast the morning after."

Rachel punched his arm hard enough to leave a bruise, "I am not doing this for _you_, jackass," she assured him, "I just didn't want Linds to deal with breakfast alone, and you know the number one rule of cooking: _DON'T_ let Brooke do anything."

"Hey!" squealed Brooke in protest, "I resent that!"

Clay flashed her his best endearing grin, "Doesn't make it any less true."

-xx-

After breakfast, Brooke was perched on the roof of the Sigma Chi house, just outside Clay and Nate's bedroom window. The afternoon soon warmed her face, making her cheeks flushed a perfect shade of red.

The view was soothing, and Greek Row was peacefully quiet at this time of day. "Penny for your thoughts?" Clay broke her out of her stupor, climbing out the window and sitting down next to her.

"Not sure they're worth that much."

Clay smirked, "C'mon," he prompted, "You'd tell your shrink. How's that going by the way? Is it fixing you?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "You think I'm broken?"

"I think you're perfect, Dimples." Clay assured her with a smile, "Seriously, though, how's that working out?"

Brooke shrugged a shoulder. It was the first time she'd talked to anyone about the therapy sessions. Rachel had tried to get her to talk, but she wouldn't budge, and she hadn't wanted to tell Haley yet. "It's weird." But this was Clay, and she always told Clay everything. "I mean, she doesn't say a lot of stuff. Mostly she just asks questions and I answer."

"Isn't that how it's supposed to work?"

"I guess…" Brooke hugged her knees against her chest. "I just—I keep thinking that I'm gonna get this cheat-sheet with all the answers on how to get things back on track in my life, and that's not happening. And I know that it's not gonna happen, 'cause things don't just magically resolve themselves. But I also can't help hoping that everything will just work out at the end."

Clay wrapped an arm around his brunette best friend's shoulders, "Dimples, only you can be eternally hopeful all the while being a perpetual cynic." He pressed a kiss on her temple, and she laid her head upon his broad shoulder.

"Everything just used to be so simple before: Clay and Brooke against the world. And then we came here, and…I met Luke. It was easier when things were just sex between us. And he started getting serious, and it felt like we were moving so fast. I didn't want to get so serious with him, or with anyone for that matter. It's always just been easier and I'm just not that kind of person. Why is it so hard just to keep everything casual and fun? You and Rachel seem to manage just fine."

Clay hadn't really thought about him and Rachel in that way. The redhead was just a girl he continually slept with and who had him all twisted up in the game. They were both always at the same place, at the same time. "'Cause me and Rae just…figure it out as we go along. We've never been complicated. But…Luke _loves_ you, B. And once you get to that place, where you love someone like that…well, I'm guessing it's pretty hard to settle for something that's just fun and casual. You start wanting something real."

"And what are you going to do once you can Rae start wanting something real?"

Clay grinned—it was typical of Brooke to turn the tables on him when the subject made her uncomfortable. "I don't really know. But I can't figure it all out today, Dimples. And I can't cross that bridge until I get there. So I'm just gonna hang here and enjoy the sunshine." He said, laying down on the roof, his fingers knitted behind him head.

A dimpled smile spread across the brunette's face. "Sounds like a plan to me." She said, lying down next to him.

After all, it was a beautiful day.

Relationship paths and the future and other grown-up things could wait till tomorrow.

-xx-

**Saturday  
Al's Backyard**

Al's was pretty packed for a Saturday afternoon. Most people were sleeping off Friday night's hangover and the place didn't start to fill up till at least ten o'clock.

Brooke and Clay sat by the bar thoroughly engaged in game of Quarters when a group of Phis walked in led by Logan Echolls.

Brooke spotted Luke over by the pool tables. And he wasn't alone.

Luke moved behind Caroline, his hands steadying her arms as she held the cue. "Alright, keep it steady." He instructed, "But not too tight a grip, though."

Brooke's hazel eyes narrowed at the sight. The blonde-haired girl giggled, saying something to Luke who grinned in return. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

_Who the fuck is that girl_?

Duke Orsino stood by the bar picking up another beer. "Duke," called out Brooke, gripping the taller blonde's toned arm and pulling him closer, "Who's that girl with Luke?"

Duke glanced towards the pool tables, grinning at the sight of the tall, goddess-like blonde. "Oh, that's Caroline. She was at The Ract last night, dancin' and totally holdin' court, you know? Anyway, we all made a play for her, but it was Luke who got to score." He shook his head, "Said it one and I'll say it again: he is one _lucky_fuck."

Brooke didn't answer and continued to watch the pair of blondes currently engrossed in a pool game. She could hear Duke saying something, but she couldn't focus on what it was. His voice was like background music meant to be ignored.

Something about the way Luke interacted with that 'Caroline' bothered her. An unknown feeling cursed through her veins and she found herself angry and…oddly vigilant of Luke. This girl was her complete opposite: blonde hair, green eyes, couldn't shoot pool to save her life—and there was something about the way she moved with Luke, like it was all easy and natural.

Brooke and Luke had never been easy. And Brooke figured that, as of late, she was one making things difficult.

She thought back to their interactions these last few weeks. They'd been thrown together at random for the final paper of Hodgins' class.

-xx-

_Their study process so far had consisted of lying around his bedroom, watching inane videos on youtube, and trying to see who could sink in more cheese-balls into the other's mouth (Luke kicked her ass at that, of course)._

_"So," Luke said as he dropped onto the futon, "What literary hero are we choosing for this thing?"_

_Brooke sat up on the bed and shrugged, "I don't know. According to Campbell's paradigm all heroes' journeys are the same thing."_

_"Yeah, but it's our pick." Luke moved to bed and sat down behind her, his lips close to her ear he whispered, "I got it: Batman."_

_The brunette laughed at that, his warm breath sending goosebumps all over her back. "Actually, I'm more of a Superman kind of girl." She joked, leaning into his touch. It was nice, moments like these._

_Luke shrugged, "Seriously, though, I'm thinking a Greek hero. They're pretty much the archetype of heroes everywhere. Plus, there's plenty to pick from: Odysseus, Hercules, Aeneas?"_

_Brooke turned around to face him, "No," she shook her head, "If we're doing a Greek hero, I want Perseus." She said, tucking her hair behind her ears._

_Luke smiled at the sight. For a second it was like before all the crap that got in between them ruined them. "And why's that?" The whole being friends thing was good in theory, but there was something innately cruel about being so close to the one thing you want the most and knowing that it's just there out of your reach. Being close enough to feel it, to almost touch it, and knowing that you can't have it._

_"Only Greek hero to get a happy ending."_ _Brooke explained with her signature-dimpled smile._

_And while happy endings weren't his thing—they weren't _their_ thing—he figured why the hell not? Might as well pick something that's not wrapped up in angst and misery._

_Luke smiled, "Alright then," he answered, and then tucked behind her ear a strand of hair she'd missed. "Brooke Davis likes happy endings, huh?" he teased, tickling her sides._

_"NOOO!" Brooke shrieked amidst a fit of giggles, kicking and screaming. "Quit it, Luke!" she demanded, though it was hard to take her seriously while she was laughing like a five-year-old. But Luke was relentless. He continued to tickle her, demanding over her screaming: "Ask nice, Brooke!" He pinned her down, his strong body hovering above her petite form, both breathing heavily but smiling nonetheless._

_Luke flashed her an honest to God smile, which he didn't usually do—the Scott smirk was his default reaction—his navy-blue eyes burrowing into her hazel ones. They'd been doing this a lot lately, standing so close together, their bodies pushed up against one another without it leading to something more._

_His eyes darted downwards for a second, and he noticed she was still wearing the necklace he'd given her during their stay in 'jail'. He wondered if she'd taken it off since, but didn't ask. Then, shaking his head as if snapping out of a trance. "Sorry," he said, "I must be crushing you." Yet he still didn't bother to move._

_Brooke licked her lips. "I don't mind."_

-xx-

It'd been nice to be with him all that week, even if it was just because the random pairings for the final papers placed them as partners. But watching be this close to another girl now bothered Brooke in way that was unfamiliar to her. "Would you have sex with me?" she blurted out to Duke completely out of the blue.

Duke's eyes widened like saucers, and he let out a low whistle. "Complicated question, B." he answered, "I mean you're a damn fine piece." His eyes inadvertently zoomed in on her perfectly rounded breasts, "But you're Luke's girl—or _ex_-girl." He stammered, "Look, its bros over hos. The house is family—brothers before anything else." His inability to cover up the obvious ogling of the brunette's cleavage was tripping him up. "Um, point, uh," He cleared his throat, "Right, um, the point is: you are severely off limits to the rest of the Phis." And then he grinned, regaining some of his usual confidence, "But if you weren't, I'd have you half-naked against the back-room wall right now."

"Down, boy," Brooke laughed at his nervousness and thinly veiled attempt at a recovery, "I wasn't offering. It was just a question."

Duke pursed his lips, "Oh," he said, paused, "Well, in that case, the answer is: Hell. _Yes_. In a heartbeat."

"And you think I'm hot, right?" He noticed that Brooke was still eyeing Luke and Caroline across the bar, and understood the real question: I'm hotter than _that_ girl, right? "And for the record, New Girl might be hot, but I'd fuck you before her any day of the week. You're Brooke-fuckin'-Davis."

At that, Brooke cracked a smile. Then Duke added, "You ain't got nothin' to be jealous 'bout. She's not the one for him. Way I see it, she's just another way to numb up the pain. Nobody wants to be lonely, B. Not even Luke." Duke grinned and threw an arm around the tiny brunette's shoulder, "And most definitely not you."

Brooke flashed him a half-smile. "And people say you're shallow, Duke." She quipped.

"Ah, I'm leagues-under-the-sea deep, B." Duke grinned, he winked at her, "Y'know how I do."

-xx-

Across the room, Logan stood by the bar, he slipped a twenty over the counter, "Keep the change, Al," he said, tipping back his Corona bottle and taking a gulp, "Down-payment on the evening's future purchases." He added, throwing an arm around Veronica's shoulders. "Anything for you, darling?"

"Coke." Veronica replied, eyeing the afternoon crowd. Her eyes landed on a tiny brunette standing across the bar. The brunette's hazel eyes were intensely focused on Luke Scott. Veronica eyed her carefully—yep, there was _definitely_ something familiar about the brunette. She elbowed Logan, asked, "Who's that? I know her from somewhere…"

Logan shifted her eyes to where his girlfriend was oh-so-subtly pointing and grinned, "That would be Brooke Davis." He said, "And you know her from me." He cleared his throat, "Brooke and her brother dropped into town when my Mom died. You must have seen them around then."

Veronica pursed her lips in interest, "So that's Luke's Brooke, huh?"

The comment made Logan smirk. "Not sure how she'd like being referred to as Luke's Brooke. She's got a thing with not being any man's property."

Veronica smirked because that was a common feeling, "That's how I know her." She said with a shrug.

Logan shrugged, and pressed a kiss to her temple, "Easy, bobcat." Then Dick walked up to them, made a semi-obscene comment about Veronica and Logan before pulling his best friend towards the dartboard. "Be right back, sugar puss." Logan told her before disappearing into the crowd.

Veronica slid onto a barstool and sipped her Coke. It was then that the familiar brunette popped up next to her and tapped the bar's countertop. "A water bottle, please, Al."

Veronica eyed her curiously for a second. "Brooke Davis, right," Brooke turned to her and nodded, then Veronica extended a hand for her to shake, "I'm Veronica Mars."

Recognition flashed across the brunette's face. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "Of course. You're Logan's Veronica." At the comment, the petite blonde's eyes narrowed in slight amusement. Brooke furrowed her brow, "Or aren't you…?"

Veronica laughed, and shook her head, "No, that's me. I guess. Logan's Veronica." She sounded it out carefully.

"You transferred over here?" Brooke asked, making small talk while she waited for her drink.

"Um, yeah. Kind of, anyways." Veronica answered, "I'm supposed to head back to Hearst to finish out the rest of the semester there, but since I just have a few term papers left Logan's been insisting that I crash at the house and email them in." the blonde explained, "And I gotta admit I'm kind of tempted. At first the idea of living among a bunch of frat boys sounded like hell, but they've all been great so far.

"—Except Dick, of course!" they exclaimed simultaneously, and laughed. Brooke sized up the blonde she'd heard so much about, the one who'd done such a number on the seemingly unshakable Logan Echolls. She seemed okay. "Well, I don't know if it's too soon to think of that," the brunette started, "But I am looking for a roommate for next year. I usually rent an apartment near campus—it's cheaper and you don't have to share the bathroom with the entire floor."

Veronica smiled. She hadn't thought that far ahead, but this girl didn't appear to be as fucked up as she'd previously thought. And she knew Dick was, well,_ a dick_. Her gut was saying that it was a good idea. "Sure. Maybe." She nodded, pulling out her Sidekick. They exchanged cell numbers and went off their different ways. Veronica could see why Luke was so into this girl. She definitely had a quality that made her…hard to resist.

-xx-

Logan saw Caroline Forbes dash towards the bathroom and spotted Luke alone, bringing over a pitcher of beer to an empty table. He made his over to him and sat down in the stool across from his. "Dude, what gives? _What_ is with the weekend-long hook-up?"

"Nothing, man." Luke shrugged non-comitally. "Caroline just needed a place to stay for a few days. I've been letting her crash on my futon. She's...okay, I guess."

"And Brooke?" Logan questioned, not entirely satisfied with his brother's answer. From Sam or Alexander he might've bought it, but Luke had always been pretty strict about his no-repeat policy. "What happened to your Spring Break, doped up revelation that Brooke Davis was _The One_?"

Luke's navy-blue eyes rose to find the brunette currently chatting up Veronica Mars at the bar. "I love Brooke. And I think I'm always going to love her in some way—like you said, that first love that never fades away. But what am I supposed to do here? Live alone and in celibacy until she decides what she really wants? No way, man." He shook his head, "Caroline is fun. And she is a much welcome distraction."

Logan only smirked. Yes. He could most definitely identify with that feeling—memories of his brief fling with Dick's ex-stepmom flashed through his mind. Yep, he was definitely no stranger to the fuck-buddy arrangement. "Fair enough," he shrugged, "But I just got a bad feeling about this, bro, you know?"

Luke filled up a glass with beer and slid it over to Logan. "You just need to relax." This wasn't that complicated. He was back to basics with this thing: He was a free agent. He was one of Duke's most solicited guys. Last week, three girls had left their thongs in his locker. He may not be with Brooke Davis right now. But he sure as hell could be with any other girl he wanted.

It was a fun way to pass time.

-xx-

**Monday  
Dr. Rachel Todd's Office  
****Duke Psychiatry**

Once more, Brooke flopped down on the therapist's couch.

It was almost comfortable by now, though her relationship with Dr. Rachel Todd was still pretty one-sided. Mainly Brooke did the talking, and the shrink took endless notes she never bothered to share with her.

"Tell me about your weekend, Brooke." Like usual, Dr. Rachel Todd started things off. Though it was now easier to get the brunette talking, she still needed to be pushed to start.

Brooke cleared her throat, "Um, I did my homework. No sex with random guys." She said, "I also saw Luke down at Al's. He came over with this other chick and the rest of the guys from the house, and they were playing pool, and huddled up all close together—this blonde, green-eyed skank and it was just really annoying."

"And how did you feel seeing Lucas interact so closely on a social level with another girl?"

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked, even though she knew exactly what Dr. Rachel Todd meant.

"Did you feel angry, sad, frustrated, displaced," Dr. Rachel Todd listed off, "Maybe jealous?"

Brooke scoffed, "Why would I be jealous? We're not together anymore."

"Well, you've said before that both you and Lucas engaged in random one-night stands. Sexual situations in which the emotional connection was lacking." Dr. Rachel Todd answered, "But this was different because he was clearly having some sort of connection to this new girl. They were out together in a social setting, you said they were there with his friends, and they were playing pool together huddled up closely. This is something I'm guessing you and he used to do together on a regular weekend. That didn't bother you at all?"

"Yeah." It was the first time Brooke had said it out loud. "It's just...that used to be us. The couple holding court at the pool tables, that was _us_. God, I just! Ugh, I want to go back to the start. When we were fun and simple and it wasn't about anything else. Luke knew how I felt about all that stuff from the start. And he just…he changed the game on me. I wasn't ready for that."

"You don't like getting too comfortable." And there was an underlying question in that statement. "Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt." Brooke nodded. "And nobody grows, either." Dr. Rachel Todd added, "But it's inevitable, Brooke. Time doesn't stand still. We have to keep moving forward. And everyone grows up. You put away childish things, and settle into the next stage of your life."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Why were you jealous of Lucas with this new girl?" Brooke didn't answer, but Dr. Rachel Todd pressed on. "Why did it bother you? Why is it still bothering you right now?" there was a pause. "Why were you jealous, Brooke?" The shrink repeated the question, this time more forcefully.

"Because I love him!" It felt like the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders as she finally spoke the words out loud. "But I messed it up. It's too late now. Why would he want a mess like me? Come on, help me! I am _trying_ here. I want to make it work with us, but I don't know what to do. And you never say _anything_. You just sit there and ask me questions and push my buttons!"

"Therapy isn't a quick fix, Brooke. And it isn't a panacea or a cure-all. Fixing your relationships, making right the wrongs you've made before, that is an inside job. I'm here to listen, and support you. But I can't make your decisions for you. And today's been really good progress for you. This is the first time you've acknowledged your feelings for Lucas out loud. What do you think is the next step here?"

Brooke's vision clouded with the eminent tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. "I don't know. I really don't." she said, "All I know is that I'm…scared. Okay, he scares me. The way he makes me feel scares me. I don't-I don't want to love him now if he'll just leave someday. I don't want to feel that pain of being left behind. And I just don't want to throw myself into something that might not last."

"And what is it that you're looking for?" Dr. Rachel Todd finally questioned, "You've just told me what you don't want: pain, being left, throwing yourself into that relationship. So, what is it that you do want?

There was a long pause. Brooke licked her lips and stared at her hands and let words bounce around in her head: _What_. _Do_. _You_. _Want_. "I want something...permanent. Steady." The realization hit her like a ton of bricks because everything she'd ever done went against that concept. She was the restless girl who moved from place to place, from thing to thing, from person to person. Always avoiding commitment and the provincial idea settling down. There'd only ever been two constants in her life: first there'd been Clay, and then there'd been Rachel. But all that'd changed lately. Now there was Haley and Jake and Nate…and Luke. A whole new group of people who'd slowly but surely become her keystone. Friendships that had grounded her in a new way, and that she couldn't do without.

Brooke furrowed her brow, "I think I hate it when things are temporary. So I just want something that can't be taken away." She shrugged, "That too much to ask?"

"One of the first things you told me when you came here was that you didn't believe in regrets." Dr. Rachel Todd said. "You said that regrets were pointless. It was life's bumps that made things interesting. Tell me now, in ten years, you may be married, and you might have a family. Or maybe you're single, still enjoying that freedom you are clinging so tightly to. But tell me now, which do you think you'll regret most in ten years: having thrown yourself into a real relationship with Lucas or having cowered away, always wondering 'what if'?"

Brooke smirked. The shrink had gotten to her using her very own logic. But a part of her was still afraid to move. "And if I only end up getting hurt? What then?"

"There are no shortcuts, Brooke. In life or in love. That pain must be felt. Because the alternative is much more worse. It's what makes us special, what makes us worthy. The pain of how we love. But that pain is accompanied by something else, isn't it? Hope. With your pain, there is always hope. And that is where you are. Somewhere between agony and optimism. So, you're human. You're fallible. You need other people, you need that love. And that is what we have."


	35. At World's End

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**The Rules Of Attraction**

_At World's End_

_"This is the way the world ends  
__Not with a bang but a whimper."  
__—T.S. Elliot_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

The Sigma Chi house was uncharacteristically calm—most of the guys were there, but they were too beat to start any of the usual roughhousing. Hell Week was over. The Pledges were officially initiated and were now Actives. Finals were done. There was less than a week left until the year officially ended and summer started.

The common room was full. Tim, Piz and Wilke were holding court at the beer-pong table, and proudly rocking their **ΣΧ** t-shirts and hoodies now that they were no longer Pledges. Brooke and Bear were kicking Eric and Boomer's asses at the pool table. Jordan and 'Reke were busy half-heartedly fighting with the pinball machine.

Owen walked in looking equally defeated as the rest of his brothers. "A'ight," he started, banging the gavel, "Last Chapter meeting of the year. We all here?"

"More or less," Clay was sprawled out on the futon, one leg up on the coffee table, and Rachel draped across his lap. The couple passed a bottle of Corona and a joint back and forth between them. Between finals last week and Al's last night, they were wrecked.

It was then that Nate walked in, one arm around Alex Dupre's shoulders and his other hand spinning a basketball on his index finger. Flanking his sides were Basher and 'Rico. "Have no fear," the raven-haired Scott started, "We're here!"

"Good enough..." Owen shook his head dismissively, "Right. Start it off with a quick congrats. This is the first official meet for Piz, Wilke, Riggs, Louis, Chase, Skip and Shawn. Pledge class of '12 all made it, so lets give 'em a round of applause."

The guys clapped and cheered. Brooke gave Piz a kiss on the cheek causing him to turn a bright shade of red as Nate playfully punched his arm, Clay bumped fists with his Lil' Bro Wilke, and Owen put Riggins in a headlock, giving him a playful noogie.

"Don't be gettin' too happy," said Tyreke, "Ya'll are still bottom of the food chain till we get some new Pledges up in here."

Owen shook his head, "Quit scarin' the newbies, 'Reke," he said, banging the gavel, "Now, onto business: we got a last minute rager to throw here."

The Sigma Chi house had a notorious reputation in Duke—not all bad: they were the top house in sports and philanthropy, but they were also the biggest party hounds. And so, it always fell to them to throw the official Greek Row end of term party.

It was a tradition the Sigs were happy to embrace. Throwing the last rager of the year was an honor. And normally it was all planned out by now, but with everything else going on this year they'd been remiss.

Basher spoke up first, "Well, where's Win'?" he asked, "Plannin' shit's his department. And usually by now dude's havin' the pre-party."

"Winchester's been busy studyin'," answered Owen, "He's in a meet with his academic advisor now. Finding out if he graduates today. Only needs to pass McNealy's class." He explained, his tone somewhat hopeful—everyone knew McNealy's class was a killer.

The oldest Winchester brother was finishing out his sixth year at Duke University. Owen didn't mind because Dean was his boy, always watching his back. Coach Cutcliffe didn't particularly mind either since Dean was the best middle linebacker in the state. It was a running house joke that Dean just wanted to stay in Sigma Chi forever.

"Please," Basher scoffed in disbelief, "The day Win' graduates 's the day the world ends!" he declared, receiving a few chuckles in response.

Dean Winchester was leaning against the doorframe, listening in, "Well, Bash, I suggest ya pull out the apocalypse kit, dude," he said as he cockily strutted into the common room and slapped a piece of paper down on the table, "'Cause this Winchester's officially a college GRADUATE!" he yelled, high-fiving Owen and slapping Basher upside the head.

The news seemed to awaken house spirit. Everyone jumped up, Brooke and Rachel being the first to jump into Dean's arms, shrieking right into his ear.

It was unclear who busted out the keg, but within minutes everyone had a cup of beer and were toasting Dean's legacy at the house. Owen spoke about how Dean had been the Social Chair as long as he'd been in Sigma Chi, Bear and the guys from the football team spoke of his records as Duke's best MLB, Riggs and the new actives bowed down to his prowess with the female population of Duke (and UNC, and NCCU, and Lancer, and other neighboring universities—plus the community colleges).

But it was Clay Evans, Dean's only Lil' Brother in all his time in Sigma Chi, who made the final toast. "Win'...man's my Big Bro. What can I say? I still remember when he _personally_ recruited me to join the Sigs, promising me that it'd change my life. He game me my Pledge nickname—Weasel, which thank god got dropped when I became an active—made me do his laundry at four in the mornin', and he _always_ chose me when playing Pledge Frisbee. We're all proud of ya, dude... Sigma Chi will not be the same without you." He raised his blue Solo cup, "Move on to bigger and better things, Win'. I expect nothing less from my Big Bro."

The guys broke out in applause and catcalls, yelling 'cheers!' and tipping back their cups, as Dean and Clay attempted not look like pussies while exchanging a manly hug. It was the end of fucking era.

When they all settled down, Dean got the biggest armchair. Brooke and Rachel were sitting on his lap and handing him beer—it was like his ultimate wet dream come to life.

Owen banged the gavel once more, "A'ight, we all good to go?"

"Got my Brookie Muffin and my Red Cherry Pie," Dean grinned, "Trust me, O, it ain't ever been this good before!"

"Don't be gettin' too comfy, Dean. Ya ain't out of this house yet—your last party, Winchester." Owen said, "How you wanna handle that?"

"Jordan, how's the budget?"

Jordan downed the last of his cup, "Minus the keg we just broke out, we got three more downstairs. There are 2 cases of Hennessy, 1 of Grey Goose, and a box of Red Bull," he counted out on his fingers, "but we're out of tequila. We also burned through all of the petty cash planning last month's Safe-Sex party—buyin' all those condoms and preppin' all the Blowjob and Panty-Dropper shots was expensive."

"But we all got _laaaiiiid_!" drawled Boomer, "Y'know what I'm sayin'!"

Owen furrowed his brow, "Whoa, are you tellin'we got nothin' else to throw this with?"

"Besides Basher's not-so-secret stash of Everclear, that's it." Jordan shrugged, "We're tapped out."

Basher didn't even blink, "And even _that_'s runnin' low."

At that point, everyone actually started getting _worried_. Throwing a lame-ass party would be a Sig killer. The house had already been overloaded with drama that year, and they needed to close out the year golden to set up for the next one.

Nate groaned, "Fuck me, Sigs _not_ throwing the last party—now _that_ is the fuckin' end of the world."

Brooke and Rachel muttered amongst themselves trying to work up one of their schemes, but they were coming up blank. Their talk was cut short by Dean smacking their asses triumphantly, "Gentleman!" he cut his eyes to the girls on his lap, "Chicks. I got it: End of the World Party—the apocalypse, big countdown to midnight, decay. We pull out that 100-gallon pool from the Wet 'n Wild party last year and fill it up with Jungle Juice, and spread out the kegs. Get Ace prepping some of the funky drinks and everyone will be wasted within the hour."

"Win', we don't have enough to pull that off," Clay piped in, "and without the booze, everyone's gonna bail."

Brooke grinned, "Woop Juice." She and Clay locked eyes, "That was mostly Everclear—you remember how Reid mixed the stuff?"

Woop Juice was a Spenser Academy staple, created and mixed by Reid Garwin. Clay and Brooke had befriended Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler during their stay at Spenser. Clay had picked up a few tricks from Reid. "Bash, can you hook us up?"

"I know a guy who knows a guy. It's the dude who gets me the Everclear—he can get it for free," Basher offered, "Dude owes me a solid."

Owen frowned, "Is it _legal_, Bash?" And when it came to Basher that was always the question.

"Do ya _really_ wanna know, Big O?"

The QB reconsidered his question, "...probably not." He muttered, "Fine. Hook it up, Bash. Evans, its on you to make it work with what we got in storage and whatever Basher brings in, a'ight?"

Clay grinned—_challenge accepted_. "I'll figure it out."

"Theme, booze," Dean counted with his right hand, "Now we need decorations, and entertainment." He finished with his left hand, "We need the place to look the part—disintegrating, countdown to the end of _everythin_'. And we need a killer band."

Brooke and Rachel bumped fists in their mock-lame-jock way, "We got the decorations. Place is gonna look freakin' decadent."

"I got a band!" Nate jumped up excitedly, "Look, last year my mom opened up a café in SoCal. She got the All-American Rejects to play at the opening—I can hook it up."

"Done and done," Owen let out a breath, "Scraping by at the last second—it's the Sigma Chi way. Everyone comes through, and we've just hooked up the most improvised rager in history." He banged the gavel, "Lets make it happen."

-xx-

**Wednesday  
Haley & Jake's Apartment**

Haley was perched on the living room couch, her feet propped up on the coffee table, as she folded winter coats neatly and divvied them up into two different boxes.

This year the packing up of the apartment dynamic was a little different. Normally, Haley and Brooke would be packing everything up and headed back home (well, Haley back to Tree Hill and Brooke back to...wherever she vacationed).

But this year, Haley and Jake had decided to keep the apartment. The rent was affordable, it was walking distance from West Campus, and there was spare room for the baby's nursery. This meant that all the stuff Brooke and Rachel were storing in the redhead's old room had to be officially moved out.

Jake had gone off to the Phi Delt house for their last Chapter meeting of the year, and Haley, Brooke and Rachel had decided to take advantage of his absence turn it into a girls' day.

"You two have _way_ too much clothes," stated Haley as she finished tapping up the last of the winter boxes.

Brooke emerged from the bedroom wiping her brow, "Okay, disassembling that bed was _so_ much more complicated than putting it together ever was." She announced, crashing down next to Haley.

"You should try putting together a crib—those fuckers are _tough_!" exclaimed Haley.

Rachel popped in from the kitchen, two bottles of Corona in one hand and a jar full of cash in the other, "That'll be a buck, Hales," she said gloatingly dangling the jar next to the honey-blonde's head. _Finally_ she was getting to bust the soon-to-be mom.

"Fine," Haley pulled a dollar from her jeans' pocket and tossed it in, "Clay alone will put this baby through college with that swear jar."

Clay walked in then, he threw an arm around Rachel's shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "Hey, babe," he greeted easily, "Got the key to the storage unit, and the U-Haul's locked onto Big O's wheels. I already loaded the desks and stuff."

"Thanks, gorgeous," replied Rachel, pecking his lips, "B and I can handle the mattresses, but we need _you_ to carry down the beds."

"I'd protest, but I'm _so_ being your little bitch right now, what would even be the point?" Clay just smirked and went to it, carrying the pieces of the bed downstairs without complaint.

Brooke watched both of her best friends interact as a...well, a _couple_. It was nice, but at the same time a little disconcerting. When did Rachel and Clay become the normal, healthy ones?

Haley snapped her out of it, "Boxes are done, too." She added, "I'd carry them down myself, but...I'm pregnant." She happily pointed to her belly—the baby was a get-out-of-work free card.

Brooke scrunched up her nose, "You're milking that _way_ too much, Hales," she said before grabbing two of the boxes and heading downstairs.

The honey-blonde merely sipped her decaffeinated frapuccino—she'd milk this pregnancy for all it was worth at this point.

"Hey, really-boring-married-couple," called out Rachel from the bedroom, "Are you and Jay going by the party tonight?"

"We might stop by if I'm not to tired," Haley answered as she eyed a magazine, "I'm not really in the mood for a kegger, but it's the end of the year—and the world, apparently, assuming the fliers are true—and Jake deserves to have a fun night out even if I can now barely see my feet."

The redhead poked her head out the bedroom door, "Y'know, Jay is certainly very deserving, but so are you," she said, "I know you hate all Sig keggers on principle because they stand for drunkenness and debauchery, but pretty soon there won't be that many parties in your future. At least not the same way they are now—it'll be all guilt about leaving the kid with a sitter, and panic that the sitter's an inept teenager. You should take your moments when you can get them."

Haley smiled, "I'll try to make it tonight." It was funny, but somewhere down the line—without either girl really noticing—Rachel and Haley had become family; the redhead was someone who cared about Haley as fiercely as Brooke did. "Thank you, Rae."

Rachel smiled, too, "Anytime, Hales,"

-xx-

They had everything packed up under the hour. Haley ended up falling asleep on the living room couch. She'd been napping more than a lazy cat lately. Brooke covered her friend up with a duvet and turned off the TV. "Sleep tight, Tutor Wife," she whispered before stepping back into Rachel's room for a final look.

Rachel walked into the bedroom a few minutes later, "Hey, you got everything?" she asked, tucking her hands into her jeans' pockets. The brunette only nodded, "God, can you believe that _this_ is going to be the Jaley home for the next two years?"

It felt a little surreal that the apartment they'd fucked around in for half a year was now going to be a _family_ home. Well, it already was—Jake and Haley had started their married life there. That baby was going to start her _whole_ life there. It all felt a little bit too real.

"You ready for the party tonight?"

Brooke smiled, "Yeah. I think it'll be the best Sig party yet." She paused and shook her head, "God, It still doesn't feel like the year's really over..."

"Yeah, it still feels like we aren't done yet." Finished Rachel, "I get it." She agreed and paused for a beat, "You know, Luke will be there tonight, too."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Why do you always feel the need to bring Luke into the conversation?"

"_Because_." answered Rachel matter-of-factly, "It's, you know, the 'end of the world' tonight. And you should tell him you love him." She shrugged a shoulder, "Carpe diem and all that crap."

Brooke opened her mouth (though she wasn't sure what she was gonna say exactly since she _did_ love him), but the redhead cut her off. "Let me save you from having to lie—'cause you've always been a shitty liar with me. You are in love with him," Rachel cupped Brooke's cheek and winked at her, "And it's all right to admit it to him, B."

Once more Brooke opened her mouth, but she immediately closed it. There wasn't anything to say. And though she still didn't want to be that vulnerable—to care that much—her inability to express her feelings was costing her because she was certain that it was now more painful to be away from Luke than all her fears of being left by him.

"I do love him," Brooke whispered, knowing that telling Rachel would make it real—that saying it to her best friend, her sister, would mean it was true. "I'm...in love with Luke."

Rachel sighed, "There it is," she answered with a grin, "It wasn't so hard, was it? Now, sound it out real careful, go find Luke, and then, once more with feeling..."

Brooke seemed dazed as the words spilled from her mouth, rolled off her tongue: "I love him. I love Luke Scott." The brunette repeated the words over and over, effectively sounding them out as her best friend had suggested. "I'm in love with him. I love him."

The redhead rolled her eyes, "There ya go!" she said mockingly, "Now, maybe you should tell him," she suggested, "Like I said, he'll be there tonight. And you and I have to go get ready."

Brooke grabbed her purse and headed towards the door, but paused and turned to face Rachel. "What about Clay?" she questioned, "Are you gonna tell him you love him? He won't step up until you do, you know."

"You think I'm scared?" Rachel taunted with a smirk.

Brooke rolled her eyes at the nonchalance, "I do know how scary the feeling can be."

"Hey, Dimples," Clay walked in, "You all ready to go?" Rachel walked up to him and kissed him deeply, "Whoa," Clay grinned like a giddy kid, "What was _that_ for?"

Rachel threw an arm around his neck and pecked his lips, this time quicker, softer. "Because I love you, stupid." She answered with a shrug.

Clay stared at her funnily for a second before looping an arm around her waist, "Love you, too, Freckles." He said, "Now, c'mon, we're gonna be late."

_Shit_, Brooke thought, _it's that easy_.

-xx-

**Thursday  
Sigma Chi House**

The old Tudor house was covered in red lights, yellow police tape lined the outside walls, and warning signs pinned all around the front and backyard. From the balcony hung an eight feet banner reading **THE END IS NEAR** in bold, red letters.

Up on the shaking metal stage, the All-American Rejects commanded the partygoers' attention easily. The speakers vibrated as they carried the music notes throughout the party and penetrated the hot night air—it was clear that summer was coming. The balloons decorating the platform exploded by the potency of the guitar riffs magnified by the amps, eliciting more screams from the audience. The music thundered into the night, fueling the crowd to move more fiercely.

Near the stage, bodies rubbed up against bodies aching for contact and friction as loud voices echoed the song:

'_I'll press your lips and I'll taste everyone that you've had tonight. _

_It's one thing about you...I DON'T WANT TO TASTE TONIGHT**!**_

_Damn, Girl**!** Dry your eyes: you stole my heart and then you kicked it aside._

_No, Girl**! **You can't see: when He's inside you know there's no room for ME._

_And I used to think that I was all you would _need**_!_**'

Blue Solo cups filled to the brim with beer and punch were raised to the sky, their contents spilling out and wetting the yard's green grass as the energetic dancing continued. A large inflatable globe bounced from the stage and got tossed around, smacked by the crowd's hands. Foam-dart and water guns were scattered around for everyone to take a shot.

In the middle of the yard, a ten-feet-tall bonfire was burning through the night sky, it's flames fanned by the partygoers (and that idiot freshman who tried to light a fart on fire). This was by far the wildest Sigma Chi party ever. It appeared that everyone was getting a little crazy—a guy in a HAZMAT suit ran around pouring shots into willing partygoers' mouths, and another guy in tighty-whities ran around shrieking that the end was coming.

Clay sat perched on the big tree-swing, swaying along to the band's melodic beat. On his lap was Rachel in a black bikini top—if it was the end of the world, she was going showing off her Pilates-perfect body at its prime.

Next to them stood Brooke. The threesome was only slightly buzzed from a few beers, laughing and goofing off. The brunette nailed the undies guy in the back of the head with a foam-dart, and high-fived Clay.

"Girl, this party brought out the _fre-e-a-aks_!" wicked giggles emanated from the redhead's mouth at the sight. The party appeared to be the very definition of organized chaos. Everyone was definitely showing off their crazy tonight.

Nate approached them with an armful of drinks. Their contents spilled over his fingers as he passed the liquor around. "Dude, line at the Woop Juice vat was fuckin' killer."

Brooke took a sip and immediately pressed her palm to her mouth. A second later, Rachel repeated her movement. "Jesus! The fuck you put in here?"

Nate took an experimental sip and grimaced, "Fuck! This shit could disintegrate concrete."

But Clay merely downed half his cup in a single gulp, answered, "_Woop_ Juice, bro," he shrugged, "Doubled up on all the booze. It'll get your ass _wooped_—separates the men from the boys." Though Owen and Chase Morello were the official Sigma Chi bartenders, it was Clay who concocted the original Jungle Juice with the help of his Pledge class.

_Separates men from boys_—it was a fucking dare. Now, Nate was probably going to get shit-faced just to prove to Clay he could match him.

Brooke and Rachel rolled their eyes because _boys_. Clinking their plastic cups together, they braved another gulp. "Ugh," they winced, but downed it anyways. The icy-cold mixture still managed to scorch their throats as it made its way down.

It tasted potent. It tasted like bad decisions. It tasted..._perfect _for the end of the world.

Might as well go big.

-xx-

The Phis were hanging by the kegs, daring their newbies to do keg stands. Logan Echolls held court over his boys easily, one hand gripping a blue Solo cup, and his other arm thrown around Veronica Mars' shoulders.

Luke was coming back from the bathroom with RandomGirl—he needed to get laid. While Caroline Forbes was highly entertaining to keep around, they hadn't exactly been fucking nonstop since she started to camp out in his bedroom's futon—in fact, they hadn't fucked since.

"Hello," Luke greeted with a smug grin.

Caroline eyed him for a second, "Oh my god! You had sex with the slutty coed." She accused, slapping his chest, "You're such a whore."

"Relax, I didn't fuck her," Luke shrugged it off, "We just hooked up. Besides, everyone knows it's not who you fool around with at the party—it's who take to bed that counts."

Caroline winced, not even wanting to know what Luke defined as '_hooking up_'. "You're a pig." She shook her head, "C'mon, lets dance. I'm still not drunk enough to deal with your stupid sexual decisions."

The blonde pair made their way towards the dance floor. His hands found the tiny blonde's waist as they danced to the beat easily.

Luke found his relationship with her odd. Sure, he was no stranger to a girl best friend—Hales had been his best friend since forever—but he sure as shit was new to this arrangement.

Haley was his sister and his conscience, always trying to save him from himself. Caroline was the opposite of that, the ex fuck buddy who mocked and criticized his every decision, but ultimately let him do whatever he wanted.

Across the backyard, Brooke's eyes narrowed as she watched Luke rub himself against Caroline. Many things annoyed her at that point: What the fuck did Luke see in that skank? Who the fuck does the bitch think the she is?

But mostly, Brooke was getting fucking tired of feeling _jealous_.

Duke Orsino walked towards them. "Ya owe me a dance, shorty," he said, "Mind if I cut in?"

"All yours, man," Luke laughed, going off in search of a drink.

Duke and Caroline hooking up had been a little touch and go at first. Caroline was Luke's hook up. And normally the Phis had a firm policy of no double-tapping to avoid any pissing contests over chicks in the house.

But Luke didn't care who Caroline hooked up with. If she was into Duke and Duke was into her, who cared who'd fucked who first?

-xx-

It started out simple. With an accident, a shove that normally would've gone unnoticed at such a crowded backyard kegger where bodies rubbing against bodies were the norm. It was actually a tough call who'd bumped into who.

In fact, had it been any other person, the whole thing would've usually been squashed over a cup of beer.

But it was Brooke Davis and Caroline Forbes. No way in hell was either of the Queen Bees going to back down—specially to each other.

"Watch it, skank." Brooke accused.

Caroline folded her arms over her chest, let out a wry laugh, "You'd know wouldn't you?"

Brooke's hazel eyes narrowed like a hawk: had this bitch just fucking challenged her? The brunette took a step forward, "What'd you just say?"

"You slow or something?" Caroline growled back, "'Cause I didn't stutter."

It lit up after that.

At first, the insults were barely audible over the crowd chants and the music. But then the first punch was thrown.

It was on.

Like a record scratching in the middle of the chorus the band suddenly stopped, Tyson's—AAR's lead singer—voice boomed out through the speakers, "Whoa! The fuck's goin' on down there?"

A circle (mostly guys) had gathered around the blonde and the brunette who continued swinging at each other. Punches, kicks, slaps, scratches—it was all fair game. Whoops and words of encouragement were screamed—Whoo! Kick her! Left hook! Knock the bitch out!

It didn't take long for the rest of the partygoers to stop and star, everyone trying to catch a glimpse of the commotion.

Clay and Rachel were by the ice luge doing a few shot of Jäger when Wilke ran up to them. "C, dude, ya gotta come quick!" his voice was rushed and his eyes were wide. He was clearly drunk and possibly a little high.

"What's up your ass, Wilke?" Clay asked offhand, dismissing his panicked state as a side effect of his inebriation.

Wilke ran his hands anxiously through his blonde locks of hair, "Bro, I am not fuckin' around here—it's B! Baby girl's started some major shit up in here! You gotta come—_now_!"

The mention of Brooke's name was enough. This raised both Clay and Rachel's antennas. The couple ran towards the commotion, carelessly shoving their way through the horde gathered around the catfight.

They could hear the screams of whoever was trying to separate them. "C'MON, BACK OFF!" Clay broke through first and wasn't entirely surprised to find that it was Caroline Forbes who was tangled up with Brooke.

The girls continued to shout profanities at each other while taking as many swings as they could. Clay spotted Duke Orsino trying to wrangle Caroline away. He looked around, but Luke Scott wasn't anywhere nearby.

"Fuck off!"

"You little who—"

"Oy!" Clay slung an arm around Brooke's waist and hefted her up into the air, swinging her around and away from the blonde. "Easy, B," he struggled to hold Brooke back, "Orsino? Now would be a fine time to take the hint, grab your chick, and get her the fuck away from here."

Duke nodded, "Chill, Evs," he said, "I got her." He yoked Caroline up and tossed her over his shoulder. The blonde didn't make it easy on him, kicking and screaming. "Shorty, ya need to know when to quit, a'ight?"

A few dudes threw empty cups at them for breaking up the catfight, but they pushed through the crowd ignoring the whole thing.

By the backyard door, Jake wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Catfight, people throwing shit, everyone getting violent: _Welcome to Sigma Chi, Bitch_.

"Yep. Looks like we made it just in time."

Clay and Rachel rushed past them, tugging Brooke in between them and dragging her upstairs. Haley sighed, "Honey, go get a drink or something. I gotta go deal with this."

Jake knew better than to argue—taking care of Brooke was Haley's nature. "All right, I'll go find Luke." He said, pecked her lips, "Call me if you need anything."

Haley made her way upstairs, and opened the bedroom door where she could overhear her friends talking. Inside, beer bottles and crushed cans of Red Bull were scattered across the floor along with empty boxes of condoms. "Oh, this is disgusting. Who's room is this?"

"Riggy and Shawn's. Clay's room is busy—Nate's fucking Alex in there."

Haley shook her head, not in disbelief, but in simple annoyance, "All right. Enough. You two—_out_. I need to talk to Brooke." Her tone left no room for argument so Clay and Rachel did as they were told.

The honey-blonde's hands moved to her waist as she paced around the room, "Jesus, Tigg, what is wrong with you?"

"Hales—"

"No, Brooke," her tone was adamant, "No more excuses. You are acting like a damn child—kicking and scratching another girl in the backyard! "

Brooke rolled her eyes angrily, "You need to stop _mothering_ me."

"_Someone_ has to!" Haley yelled back at her, refusing to back down, "This is your life, and you're screwing it up!"

"Well, it's _MY_ life to do with whatever the hell I want!"

"WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON MAKING YOURSELF MISERABLE, THEN!"

"BECAUSE I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO TELL HIM I LOVE HIM!"

The words fell on them like a ton of bricks. Both breathed heavily. Brooke sighed, "After everything we've been through—everything I put him through...I don't know how to tell him."

Haley cupped her cheek, "Brooke, you just say the words. Speak from your heart—and do not tell me that the heart's an organ that pumps blood. Y'know what I mean. Be honest. C'mon. Seconds to the end of the world, what do you have to lose?"

"I'm going to tell him."

Haley smiled, "Then go. Run. _Tell him_."

And with that, Brooke rushed towards the stairs. She needed to find Luke Scott.

-xx-

Someone handed Jake a cup of Woop Juice and he grabbed it, immediately throwing it out after the first sip—what the hell was in there? He continued making his way towards Luke. He pulled the blonde away from a beer pong game and dragged him towards a quiet corner.

"Hey!" Luke protested with smirk, "I was winning that game, dude."

"Luke, come on. A fucking catfight just broke out and you didn't do anything. Look, I know I've been busy with Haley and the baby stuff and everything, but I'm still your best friend here. Talk to me."

"Last time I checked, it wasn't my responsibility to babysit either Brooke or Caroline."

Jake said, "Really? 'Cause the last thing I remember was that you loved Brooke, and that she was the one for you. I thought you guys were...I don't know, moving somewhere."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Jay, back off." He growled, "Go back to the wife, and stay out of it. It's none of your business."

Jake grabbed Luke's arm and stopped him from walking away, "The fuck it ain't. My mom's _dead_. My idiot brother's living like a vagrant _somewhere_ in Europe. My old man's _barely_ holding it together. As far as family goes, Haley, the kid and you are _all_ I got." He hissed back at Luke, "So no. I don't back off. When it's family—when you _love_ someone—you don't walk away. And you know that."

Luke blinked, "Look, Jay...I do love her. But come on—it's one step forward and two steps back. How many times am I going to let her screw me over. It was fine before, when it was a game—I fuck with her and she fucks with me. But I'm done playing. I'm not saying there's not something there, but it's just never right."

At that moment, Dean Winchester climbed up on the stage. He took a microphone, "HEY! It's almost midnight—let the countdown to the End of the World begin!"

The crowd's loud intonations reverberated through the night as the countdown began. Luke grabbed a cup and raised it in the air, joining in.

**"TEN—NINE—EIGHT..."**

Brooke made her way through the crowd trying to spot Luke. Everyone was howling the seconds until the world's end.

Finally she spotted him standing by the big tree and ran over to him. "Luke!"

"Hey, Brooke," Luke furrowed his brow in confusion. "What's up?"

"Luke, I love you. I know I waited too long to say it, and I'm sorry. I've messed up so much..."

"**SEVEN—SIX—FIVE..."**

"I'm sorry for letting you walk away and falling into bed with Nate. I'm sorry for not fighting for you. I'm sorry for treating you like you didn't matter to me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I love you when I did. But I'm saying it now—I love you. And I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm really hoping you still love me, too."

**"FOUR—THREE—TWO..."**

Luke stared at her dumbfounded—that was a lot to unload so quickly, "World's not really ending tonight, Brooke." He said, "And timing's never been our strong suit. Are you sure?"

"I am unsure about so many things." Brooke said, "But I'm sure about us. I'm here and I'm ready. I _love_ you, Luke."

Luke smile, "I love you, too," his arms circled her petite body, lowering his lips down to collide with hers.

"**ONE!**"

Standing on the back porch stairs and watching the scene unfold were Jake, Haley, Clay and Rachel.

Jake circled an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Well, look at that, babe," he said, "It really is the end of the of the world."

Haley rested her head against his broad chest, "About damn time, too," she sighed, "They belong together."

Nate walked out the house just then, button-down ripped open and jeans still unbuttoned, with a beer in hand. His hair was sticking up in that '_I-just-got-laid_' way. He took a pull from his beer, "So, what'd I miss?"

"Nothing much, dude," Clay grinned his best lopsided grin, "This has _all_ been some unnecessary _drama_."

Rachel slapped her boyfriend's chest, "But it looks like it got a happy ending...all things considered."


	36. Where The Story Ends

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**The Rules Of Attraction**

_Where The Story Ends  
(2 Years Later—_May 2014_)_

_"And time yet for a hundred indecisions _  
_And for a hundred visions and revisions."  
—TS Elliot_

-xx-

**Sunday  
Sigma Chi House**

The Sigma Chi house was unusually quiet. The guys whose idea of dressing up was putting on a clean t-shirt today donned their best jeans and button-downs—some even put on a tie.

Wilke ran around making sure everyone was ready to go and checking that the house was ready for summer lockdown.

Brooke walked into the house and couple of the guys stopped to say hello to her. Some of the oldies were there like Piz, Chase and Riggs—Wilke was actually the new Sigma Chi President now—but the absence of Owen, Dean, Bear, Jordan and Tyreke was still palpable. And though the newbies were fun, it wasn't quite the same.

Hell, Brooke even missed _Basher_ for fuck's sake.

"Princess!" Tim Riggins greeted as he pulled Brooke into a bear hug.

Wilke grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, "Hands off of Big Sis, Riggs," he instructed, "Clay's on the roof, as per usual."

Brooke pressed a kiss to the blonde boy's cheek, "Thanks, Wilke," she said, "And stop calling me Big Sis. Three years later and it's _still _annoying." She called out as she rushed up the stairs.

"Simple math, B," Wilke yelled out to her, "Clay's my Big Bro. You're like Clay's sis. So, you're my Big Sis." He sighed, "I'm gonna miss ya, B!"

"I'll miss ya, too, Wilke!" Brooke yelled back as she climbed the last step.

Upstairs, Brooke stood outside Nate and Clay's all too familiar bedroom door. The matching Batman and Superman's plates on the door had already been taken down. She still remembered buying those for them four years ago.

Brooke walked inside and paused for a beat. The room was bare, just two beds, two dressers, and two empty closets. (Though if you looked in the back wall of Clay's closet, you could still find Nate and Brooke's carved initials from when they'd gotten stoned in the empty house.)

Brooke walked towards the sash window. It was open. She spotted Clay perched on the roof, his cobalt-blue eyes set on the horizon.

It reminded her of the first time she ever set foot in the Sigma Chi house back when she was just a freshman.

-xx-

_It was a scorching hot afternoon under the North Carolina sun, and the overwhelming heat made it feel like summer wasn't over quite yet.__The old Tudor house looked a little beat down, its front door wide open as a horde of guys in blue t-shirts with the Greek letters _**_ΣΧ _**_and wife-beaters __carried boxes and duffel bags inside__. Parked on the front yard was __a grey Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up truck __full of kegs and booze boxes._

_Brooke glanced at the text to make sure she had the address right—and she did. She walked into the house relatively unnoticed by everyone and paused to check out the guys—some of these guys were hot._

_Though most were doing their own thing, there was a freakishly tall dude with black hair that every other guy running around the house seemed to defer to for everything. Brooke figured this was the man to talk to, "Hi, I'm looking for Clay Evans."_

_Before TallDude could answer, BlondeGuy arrived and threw an arm around TallDude. Then, BlondeGuy eyed Brooke lasciviously, his green eyes practically undressing her. "Damn, shorty! Why're you lookin' for Weasel?" he asked with a smirk, "I'm right here."_

_"Leave her alone, Dean. Quit bein' a douchebag." TallDude barked, and that was enough to send BlondeDouche—apparently called Dean—off somewhere else. "Sorry about Win'—kid's got not manners. You lookin' for Weasel, huh?"_

_Brooke furrowed her brow, "...weasel...?"_

_TallDude chuckled, "Pledge nickname." He explained, "Welcome to the Sigma Chi house. I'm Owen Morello." He said, offering his hand to shake._

_"Wait, Clay's pledging a fraternity—Clay's pledging _this_ fraternity?" Brooke scoffed in disbelief._

_Owen Morello nodded, "Best house on Greek Row," he said with a confident grin, "Your boy's upstairs, third room to the left." With that, Brooke headed for the stairs. Owen watched her and shook his head—'_this one's gonna be trouble_', he thought. "Oy! —What's your name?" he called out. _

_"Brooke," Brooke glanced at him, flipping her chocolate colored locks over her shoulder, "Brooke Davis."_

_Owen clucked his tongue, "Nice to meet ya, Brooke Davis." He said to himself and shook his head once more, "Yep. _Definitely_ trouble."_

_The second floor of the large house was even _more_ chaotic that downstairs. There was a Slip 'N Slide on the hall, a bunch of dude's in their undies sliding on the floor, all the while playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee, only they were using a Nerf football. _

_Brooke made it to the bedroom easily enough, but it was empty. Then she saw the open window and grinned—it was official, she knew Clay much more than what was normal. "Frat house roof, C? Really?" Brooke climbed out the window onto the roof and sat down next to Clay. _

_"Best view in town, Dimples," Clay answered with a grin, jutting his chin out towards the horizon, "Just wait till you see that sunset."_

_Brooke shook her head, "This isn't the plan, C—not for you." she hugged her knees to her chest, "_You_ are supposed to join Junior at Yale." Brooke hadn't even _known_ Clay had applied to Duke University. "_That_'s the plan. You're not supposed to be here."_

_Sure, neither Brooke nor Clay had been top of their class in high school (having been to a total of 10 different prep schools, not counting the ones abroad), but Clay was the best lacrosse player that Spenser Academy had. During senior year, Yale University had offered him a full ride and a starting spot on the Bulldogs LAX team._

_And it wasn't surprising—Clayton Evans' destiny was to be a Yalie: his grandfather (Bartholomew Evans) and his father (Bradford Evans) had attended Yale. It was what Clay had been groomed for since birth. In fact, when his acceptance letter came in the mail, it was the first time Bradford Evans had ever verbalized being proud of his son. _

_"We're straying off course here, baby," Clay licked his lips, "Throwing the rule book out the fuckin' window."_

_Brooke chuckled, "Why? This isn't you. C'mon, becoming a beer guzzling frat boy, joining the Duke soccer team—you_ love_ lacrosse." _

_"Look, B, since we were five, I had it drilled into my head: lacrosse, Yale, pledging KAO, '_don't embarrass me_'—_keep_ the family legacy. But I don't _want_ that. Yale means four more years under my father's thumb, and then straight into the family business. I don't want that for me." Clay explained, releasing a sigh, "And, yeah, I love lacrosse. And I'm fuckin' awesome at it. But it started because that's what I was _supposed_ to do. I want to try something_ new_. Think about it—I know you weren't that psyched to come here, but we can be _anyone_ we want to be here." Clay chuckled and stood up on the roof, arms outstretched at his sides, "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" he yelled out in a fit of laughter, like he was on fucking Titanic or something. _

_Brooke rolled his eyes and tugged at his jeans, "Sit down before your misguided attempt at freedom ends with you doing a face-plant on the front lawn." She jeered, "Are you sure about this? Bradford's never going let this one go..."_

_"It's time for me to become my own man. About time, don't you think?" Brooke only eyed him skeptically until he caved, "And, _yeah_...maybe I wasn't ready to be without my better half yet. Can you blame me?" Clay wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, "You're my family, B." he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, "_Always_."_

_Before Brooke could answer anything, a raven-haired guy cut their conversation short. Brooke eyed him for a second and immediately deemed him a jock: he wore a gray Duke Basketball hoody, baggy jeans hung low on his waist, and a backwards flat-brimmed cap on his head. He walked out onto the roof, two beer bottles in his hand. "Uh, hey, bro," he greeted, "I'm Nate—Nate Scott. We got paired off for the scavenger hunt." He handed Clay a bottle of Corona. _

_Clay took the beer and shook Nate's hand, flashed him his best lopsided grin—the one that won everyone ever. "Clay Evans. Nice to meet you, dude." He said, "This is Brooke." _

_Nate smirked, "Didn't know you had company. I would've brought you a beer, too." He downed half his bottle and extended it over to her, "I don't mind sharing if you don't," there was something akin to a challenge in his tone and an invitation in his smirk. _

_Brooke smiled at him—dimples full-blown, enough to make any guy putty in her hands, and at a single glance she could tell that Nate Scott was not immune to her charms. "Don't mind at all, Moody." Her dainty hands grabbed the bottle and she clinked it with Clay's—beer wasn't her drink, it had never been _their_ drink (they were Scotch people), but they were in a new city, a new town. They could be anyone they wanted. _

_And maybe, they wanted to be the friends who sat on a fraternity house roof drinking Coronas instead of Macallans. _

-xx-

Clay's long legs were crossed out in front of him, and his hands tried to button the cuffs of his white Armani button-down. His Sigma Chi yellow-and-blue stripped tie hung undone around his neck, and his hair was spiked up in that messy-yet-neat way of his.

Brooke knocked on the windowsill before climbing onto the roof and sitting down next to him. Automatically, she grabbed his hands and buttoned up his cuffs properly for him. After that, she easily knotted up the tie around his neck. They'd been doing this for far too long now.

"This roof, huh?"

Clay's cobalt-blue locked with her hazel ones, "Wait till you see that sunset, B," he said, grinning his lopsided grin. Brooke cuddled up to him and he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face in her chocolate locks of hair. "You realize this is gonna be the first time we're not living fifteen minutes from each other, right?"

Nate Scott, Duke's Blue Devils star shooting guard, was among the first five draft picks for the NBA. This wasn't surprising considering he had shattered all the records during his time at Duke. However, it was Clay Evans who had arranged the deal, making him the youngest sports agent ever to get a player into the NBA. Having connections was _good_. The duo was heading to LA after graduation.

But Brooke was going back to New York.

"Yeah," Brooke nodded, "I don't want to think about it, though. Not yet."

Clay kissed the top of her head, "God, I'm gonna miss this place."

This place had been their home. The guys had been their family. It wouldn't be the same not stopping by there every day.

Brooke nodded, "It won't be the same without us..." And also, they wouldn't be the same without _it_.

"It most definitely will not." Nate's voice said from the windowsill as he climbed out to the roof. He wore black pants and a white (untucked) button-down. His Sigma Chi tie was balled up in his fist as he sat down next to Brooke. "Anyone else getting the weirdest déjà vu right about now?"

Brooke pulled the silk tie out of his hands and placed it around her own neck, knotting it up before putting it on Nate. "Tuck the shirt in, Moody." She said, kissing his cheek, "It's a big day today."

Nate nodded, bumped a fist with Clay, "Thanks, Sunshine," he replied, leaning his forehead against hers, "For everything." They both grinned and pulled each other into a hug. "Ah, I love you, Brooklyn Davis."

"Love you, too, Nathaniel Scott."

Clay snorted, "Ooh! It just got real—you two full-named each other!"

Brooke was the first one to stand up and head out the window. Clay and Nate sat together for a few minutes. Their friendship had really started out randomly—sorting had thrown them together as pledges for an assignment, and after that they just did everything together. "Hey, Nate," started Clay, "Um, I love Brooke—she's like my sister. But you're my best friend, man—my brother. And I couldn't have gotten a better one."

Nate smiled. Sure, he had Luke—and while their relationship had certainly gotten better, they'd always been rivals. Maybe it was a Dan-thing or a twin-thing or maybe it was just some sibling rivalry. Either way, Clay was his brother in a different way. And while Luke had always had Jake and Haley, Nate hadn't really had that little separate family of his own until he found Clay and Brooke. "We're family, man." He said, "Don't be getting all sappy about it now—shit, I'm gonna have to fire you before we even get to LA."

"_Please_! You know you'd be stuck playing for the Wizards if it weren't for me, _Spark Plug_."

Nate rolled his eyes, "Oh, we're bringin' out the pledge nicknames, aren't we, _Weasel_?" he teased, "What, you getting all nostalgic on me?"

Brooke poked her head out the window, "Oh, quit reminiscing, Paris and Nicole," she mocked, "We're gonna be late. Rachel's waiting for you two to pick her up, and I gotta stop to get Haley."

The threesome of friends made their way downstairs and took a final glance at the living room. The guys had already left for the ceremony and Sigma Chi house was empty now. It seemed...quieter somehow.

Nate and Clay's eyes focused on the plaque above the fireplace. **ΣΧ: THΣ LAST HΣROΣS. **

Four years later, they'd finally fulfilled the goal they'd set their freshman year of getting their pictures up on The Wall that was reserved for Sig legends only. To that day, they still hadn't told Brooke what it was that got you a spot on The Wall.

Then again, Brooke figured there was some stuff she was better off _not_ knowing.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Jake & Haley's Apartment**

Brooke walked into the Jaley +1 apartment and found Emma in a gorgeous blue dress (color coordinated to celebrate her parents' Duke graduation) sitting alone in the bare kitchen counter. The entire apartment was now boxed up and mostly empty. "Hey, kid. Why are you sitting out here all alone?"

Emma Camille James-Jaglieski was born on September 4th, weighing 7 pounds and 9 ounces. Like all parents, Jake and Haley thought she was _perfect_. Her Aunts and Uncles who were constantly spoiling her agreed with them. She was the two-year-old goddaughter of Luke Scott and Brooke Davis.

"Daddy! Tie!" Emma's dark golden locks of hair fell across her shoulders as she pulled a ribbon out of her hair. Her face was stained Kool-Aid red from the punch in her sippy-cup, though her outfit was remarkably clean.

Brooke laughed, "All right," she pressed a kiss to Emma's forehead, "Hales! Jay! I'm here and I'm watching your kid!" she called out, winked at the two-year-old.

Emma gave her a kiss and extended her sippy-cup to her, "Aw, thanks." Brooke cooed, taking a pull from the plastic cup. "Yum!" she exclaimed, her lips now a shade redder than before.

It was then that Haley walked out of the bathroom wearing one shoe and muttering under her breath. She glanced towards the kitchen, "Emma—Brooke!" she turned towards her brunette best friend startled, "Oh, my god, we're late, aren't we? Of course we're late! We're always the ones late. And where's Jake? Why is he not watching Emma?"

On cue, Jake rushed out of the bedroom, "I'm here!" His shirt was not yet buttoned to the top, his socks didn't match, and his hair was still wet, presumably from the shower. "Em spilled something on my tie and I went to change it, but I couldn't find another Phi tie, and all the guys agreed to wear one..." he let his voice trail off.

His hands fiddled anxiously in an attempt to properly tie his tie. Quickly like a habit, Haley slapped them off and easily knotted it up. "There. Done." She said, pressed a quick kiss to his lips, "And you know you can't leave her alone for a second: look at her face, look at her hair—Emma, _don't_!" Haley now had her Serious Mom-Tone. But Emma merely continued to tug at her bangs and spilling the Kool-Aid.

Brooke walked towards the blonde-haired mother and gripped her arms gently, "Hales, look at me—_breathe_. I got this, okay. You are not late. I am early. Em and I can handle ourselves. Now, go finish your hair and find your other shoe, and make Jay-Jay's hair presentable. I've got this."

Haley let out a breath of relief, "Okay. Thanks, Tigg. We'll be done soon." She said, looking slightly more relaxed.

"We got it, momma!" announced Emma proudly. Brooke high-fived her, "_Go_, Hales." She said, "I'll finish getting Emma ready."

"Don't gotta offer twice," Said Jake, pulling Haley back into their bedroom, calling out, "Owe ya big time, B." before closing the door.

Haley couldn't help but think she owed Brooke more than she could ever put into words. In fact, she wasn't sure they'd be graduating right now if it weren't for her. Being ready for the baby in theory and being ready for the baby in practice had been far more different than either Haley or Jake imagined.

Jake couldn't quit the basketball team because he needed the scholarship, and he couldn't quit his job because they definitely needed the money. His schedule was packed: classes by day, work and practice in the afternoon, home (which meant taking care of Emma and studying in between feedings) at night.

Haley's GPA couldn't drop because then she'd lose her scholarship, but she did quit the cheer squad. It worked out better to not pay daycare, plus they couldn't exactly swing that on their budget. She spent the day at home, classes late at noon or at night, and studying whenever she could find the time for it.

-xx-

_It was sometime after 3 a.m. (or at least that's what Haley was guessing), and Emma had been crying nonstop. _

_Having a colicky baby gave a whole new meaning to the term Hell Week. _

_Jake was running on twenty minutes of sleep, cheap Folgers coffee and lot of Red Bull. Haley on the other hand was still breastfeeding, and therefore avoiding caffeine even though her body was screaming for it. _

_"Honey, I give up," Jake groaned, "I don't _care_ if I flunk out, right now, I'd sell my soul if Em would fall asleep for a half an hour just so we can get some shut-eye." He was pacing around the kitchen, crying Emma in his arms and a milk-bottle in his hand. His Ethics book was opened, but unused on the counter. "C'mon, Sweets," he pleaded, "Stop crying for Daddy, huh?"_

_Haley was sitting on the living room floor in front of the coffee table. Her glasses were slid down to the bridge of her nose, her hair (which she hadn't washed in a week) was thrown up in a tangled bun, and she'd chewed through ten pen-caps already. "We _can_'t give in. I _have_ to finish this paper, and you have to finish reading up for that midterm—and Emma will stop crying eventually." She said, her fingers typing at the speed of light as she spoke. "I'll take her in fifteen, and then you can finish up. Maybe we'll sneak in a ten minute nap." _

_"Right..." Jake wasn't feeling particularly hopeful at that point. _

_It was then that the apartment's door opened with a bang. Brooke and Rachel burst in like two energy tornadoes, eco-friendly grocery bags in their hands. _

_"Hey! We are here to save you," Brooke greeted as she walked into the kitchen and took Emma from his arms, bouncing her against her chest. "We brought you the Midterm Survival Kit: a box of Red Bull, a thermos of fresh brewed coffee, and an assortment of candies for that sugar-induced high." She explained, "We'll take Emma for a full 24 hours. Give you guys time to finish up, take a nap—"_

_"And a shower..." muttered Rachel under her breath as she unpacked the stuff onto the kitchen counter._

_Brooke glared at her, "And just time to recharge batteries." She finished. _

_Jake and Haley exchanged skeptical looks. Despite being sleep-deprived, they weren't sure about leaving their daughter for a full twenty-four hours. "Look, we're done with midterms, and you guys _need_ a break. We can handle it—we strapped the car seat in my Denali, we got milk-bottles, pacifiers, blankie—"_

_"—purple monkey!" Brooke cut in with a dimpled smile as Emma laughed with the monkey. "We can drive around with her until she falls asleep, and we'll watch her like a hawk when she _is_ sleeping. You guys need this..." _

_Haley groaned, "Ugh, who am I kidding. They're right—we need this." She admitted, "Are you two _sure_ you're up for this?"_

_Rachel slung the baby-bag over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out playfully at Emma, "Chill." Brooke and Rachel did their __lame-jock-fist-punchy thing, "_We got this_."_

_Jake and Haley looked at each other doing their whole conversations-without-words thing. After a few seconds, Jake nodded, "All right," he said. _

_"We'll owe you guys _forever_ for this one." Haley grabbed a few extra milk-bottles from the fridge and handed it to them, "Seriously."_

_"No you don't." Brooke assured them, "It's what family does."_

_Rachel nodded, "We got your back."_

_That night, Jake and Haley pulled what they'd come to describe as the worst all-nighter of their lives, knowing that they wouldn't have made it through without Brooke or Rachel. _

_And Brooke and Rachel learned that they were actually really good with babies, which was kind of surprising. _

_But even more surprising was the fact that the drunken frat boys were also very good with a baby girl. _

-xx-

Jake and Haley disappeared into their bedroom, and Brooke chuckled, "Your parents worry too much, kiddo," she grabbed a paper towel and dampened it in the sink to wipe away the Kool-Aid off Emma's face. Then, she combed back her hair and retied her ribbon. "There ya go," she announced, satisfied with her work, "You look beautiful, Em." The little girl rewarded her with another hug.

The front door opened once more, this time Rachel walked in. At the sight of the redhead, Emma squealed, "Rae! Rae!" And to that day, Rachel still felt a note of pride that her name fit so perfectly into the mouth of a toddler—more specifically, _that_ toddler.

"Hey, goober," Rachel greeted, high-fiving Emma and kissing Brooke's cheek. "Hey, B, ready to go? I've got the car, the tickets, and the caps and gowns." Jake and Haley came out dressed, this time with everything in place, "We're ready. We're ready." Declared Haley.

"You guys look hot!" exclaimed Rachel, "Oh, by the way, Luke and Duke are waiting for you at the Phi house, remember, Jake?"

Jake nodded, "Yeah, and if we head out now, I might make it on time for a change." The Phis were all meeting up at the house and heading down to the ceremony together. "Oh! Before I forget, hun, I need your key," said Jake as he pulled one out his own key ring. "And while we're at it, I need your keys, too." He added motioning towards Brooke and Rachel.

Rachel and Brooke pulled out their In-Case-of-Emergency-Only keys and handed them over to Jake. "God, I can't believe you guys aren't going to live here anymore." Rachel said, "This was like..._home_."

They'd celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, spent Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner huddled around the fire, witnessed Emma's first steps, first words. That three-bedroom apartment had been home to a lot of great memories.

"_Aaaaaw_!" came an elongated coo from all three women as they embraced in a big bear hug.

Jake said, "Save the tears for later, girls. We gotta go." The girls all exited the apartment. Jake stood at the door and took a final look. He sighed and kissed the side of his daughter's head affectionately—he still remembered bringing her home from the hospital. A part of him couldn't believe this wouldn't be the home they'd be coming to anymore. "This is it," he told her, "Say bye-bye, Emma."

Emma smiled at him, "Bye-Bye!" she said enthusiastically clapping.

This prompted Jake to chuckle. "I love ya, kiddo."

It was time to graduate.

-xx-

**Sunday  
Phi Delta Theta House**

From the moment he'd gotten married and his daughter had been born, Jake Jagielski had been 100% committed to being a good father and a good husband. Everything else moved to second place. This included his fraternity. And while his brothers had certainly never held it against him, they'd missed having him around full-time.

Now they were graduating, and the Pledge Class of '11 from the Phi Delta Theta house had decided meet up one last time, and head down to the ceremony together.

On the porch of the old brick Phi Delta Theta house, Duke Orsino had busted out a keg. Sam and Alexander were leaning against the railing, talking over their glory days on the Duke soccer field.

Sitting on the porch steps were Luke and Skills, beer cups in hand. "Four years in the makin', L. Scott," Skills grinned, "Ya ready for this, dawg?"

"What? You mean the uncertainty of graduating after four years of college and still not know just what it is I'm going to do with my life?" Luke shrugged a shoulder, "Yeah, I'm ready."

Jake jogged and sat down next to Luke and Skills. Duke immediately handed him a beer cup, "J.J.!" he greeted, "You made it, dude."

"Last day as official Phi Actives—I wouldn't miss this, bro." Jake replied, unable to keep the nostalgia from his voice.

Though they hadn't all been friends (Luke and Alexander _still_ couldn't get along), they'd always watched each other's back. Keeping the Phi motto—_One Man is No Man_—alive and well. And now they were all heading off in different directions, with no big house on Greek Row as a safety net.

Logan Echolls pulled up to what had essentially been his home for three years, and smirked at the sight. "God, you losers!" he yelled at his brothers as he made his was towards the house. Even with his Ferragamo suit, the former Head of House still proudly wore his blue-and-argent tie perfectly knotted around his neck. "I'm gone for a whole _year_, and you're all still kicking it in this fuckin' porch!"

They all laughed as they exchanged the cursory manly half-hugs and patted each other's backs. It'd been far too long, really.

But it wasn't until the sight of a tiny blonde that Luke grinned. "Ronnie!" he pulled her into a hug, picking her up and swinging her around as if she were a little kid. "You made it!"

Veronica Mars flashed him a smile, "Couldn't miss your graduation, Luke," she said, "Plus, you know Brooke and Rae would _kill_ me." A loud snore caught their attention and they spotted Dick Casablancas passed out on the swing porch wearing only a pair of tighty-whities. Veronica merely shook her head, "Wow, some things really _never_ change."

Logan bumped a fist with Duke and nodded towards his car, "C'mon, I got the truck right there," he said, "You're gonna miss graduation if we don't get a move on."

Veronica noticed that Jake and Luke were still sitting on the porch steps and tugged Logan along, indicating him to hush up. "We'll give you guys a minute," she called out to them.

Jake and Luke clutched the beer cups in their hands and looked out at the front lawn. Truth was they were leaving a whole world behind, a place that had seen them grow up (at least in most ways), but mainly a place that had kept the two best friends together. And they'd been friends their whole lives—from pre-school through college. And now they were gonna go off to different places.

Jake pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, "Hey, here you go," he handed Luke a picture of Emma, "Latest picture. Em wanted to be sure her favorite uncle got a copy for his wallet."

"Aw," Luke cooed, staring at the picture for a minute. The only woman he loved as much as Brooke was his goddaughter. "I've got the best goddaughter in the world, man."

At the mention of Luke's role as godparent Jake merely scoffed. But Luke smiled, remembering the day of the christening.

-xx-

_It was sometime after midnight and Luke was just about ready to settle in for the night—tomorrow was baby Emma's christening and he was the godfather. He'd never been one before, but he figured that it was a pretty big deal and shit. Also, Haley had made a number of threats about what would happen to him if he wasn't there both presentable and on time._

_Luke had no intention of disobeying any of Haley's wishes—he'd even passed up tonight's Pi Sig Graffiti party._

_Until Brooke Davis knocked on his bedroom window. "Open up, Boyfriend!" she beckoned, "I've brought party favors." She climbed in through the window, a bottle of Scotch of all things—Glenlivet. _

_Luke tried to reason with her: they were twenty-one now, supposedly adults. They were the baby's godparents. That was supposed to be some big responsibility or something. _

_All his arguments fell flat, of course, once Brooke unzipped her hoody and revealed an obscene amount of cleavage. It had sounded innocent enough at first. They'd down a few glasses and get a little tipsy. Just to liven up the christening tomorrow—after all, Jake and Haley had insisted on turning the possibly kick-ass party into a prissy, buttoned up affair. _

_They hadn't even gotten booze, for crying out loud!_

_So, they'd have a few sips _now_ so they could have something to entertain themselves with at was sure to be a boring ceremony tomorrow. They weren't _religious_ people. They sure as hell weren't _church_ people. Neither had ever _actually_ attended a christening before. But it didn't exactly sound like a rager._

_It was somewhere after the fifth cup (and only they would drink $100 Scotch out of Solo cups) that their clothes came off. _

_By that point, they'd both lost count of how many times they'd fucked each other. (It was probably in the triple digits, though.) _

_They were naked and sweaty, chests heaving as they lied on the floor (why was it that they rarely made it to the bed, anyways?). Brooke was lying on top of him, her fingers tracing circles along the warm skin of his chest. Her chocolate colored bangs were mated onto her forehead and her ruby-red lipstick was faded (spread across his face, neck and chest most likely), and he really did think that she'd never looked more beautiful. _

_Brooke noticed he was staring, "What are you doing?"_

_"I just wanna remember this." Luke pressed his mouth against hers, her lips opening to grant easy access. "_Everything_."_

_The brunette raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, "That was…"_

_Luke grinned proudly, "It was."_

_And then he'd started doing it again—the staring—and it was getting weird now. "Seriously. What are you doing?"_

_"Remembering this." The answer prompted Brooke to chuckle, and Luke smirked, "You love me. Admit it." He conveniently left out the fact that she'd admitted it plenty of times before now—actually, he particularly enjoyed hearing her scream it as she came, which had become a habit of hers._

_A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but Brooke just said, "You're a cocky son of a bitch, Scott."_

_Luke licked his lips, "Also true." he conceded, slightly amused by the whole exchange. _

_"I'm still in love with you." Brooke surrendered, "Even if you _are_ a little pussy-whipped now."_

_Luke shrugged it off, "Yeah. So long as it's _your_ pussy I'm whipped for, right?" The answer prompted a fit of laughter from the couple. Yeah. They'd definitely be great godparents, and excellent role-models._

_They'd arrived late at church the next morning. Their attempt at sneaking in had failed pathetically. Haley nailed them first with an abridged version of the responsibility speech. Then Jake pulling Luke away to call him a douche and wail on him for being late to this. Haley had started interrogating them about why they were late, and just as they were about to answer, the honey-blonde noticed: the glow on Brooke's cheeks, the 'I-just-got-laid' hair atop Luke's head. _

_"_**SHHHH!**_" Haley raised her hands at their face-level, pressing the tips of her fingers to her thumb and indicating them to hush up. "We are in _**church_!_**_ I don't want to hear about it. It's _disrespectful_."_

_Amid a fit of giggles, the illustrious godparents took their places at the front of the service, Brooke proudly carrying baby Emma in her arms. Jake and Haley stood at their sides beaming in that 'we're-ridiculously-proud-parents' way, and Emma Camille James-Jaglieski got christened. _

_Still, to that day, Jake and Haley still held their behavior at the christening over Brooke and Luke's head. _

_Luke had a feeling that the statute of limitations was _never_ going to run out on that one._

-xx-

Jake shook his head, "Dude, don't even—you and B were something else at that christening party. I don't even wanna think about it."

"Fine," Luke chuckled, "Your call. Onto a new subject: are you guys ready for the move? I know Hales is excited about the new job. How's Emma taking it?"

"Well, we're all set. Em's really excited about getting on a plane for the first time..." Jake let his voice trail off. He stared at his hands took a final pull from his beer cup.

Luke could see the signs of tension easily, "Man, c'mon—you got into Stanford Law. Before you know it you're gonna be lawyerly kicking ass."

"That's the point. Stanford—NoCal. I'm uprooting my whole family. I'm freaking terrified here. That's a pretty big thing, man. I can't shit it up." Jake licked his lips, "I can't live with disappointing them."

Luke laid a hand on Jake's back, "Not possible." He assured him, "Haley loves you, she's your wife—she'll stand by you through anything. And Em...god, you're that little girl's hero. As long as you continue to love her and be the kick-ass dad you are you'll never let her down. If there's someone I'm not worried about, it's _you_. You always pull through, Jay. You're a survivor."

"Survivor, huh?" Jake chuckled, "C'mon, man, lets go face the future. I know you've got B waiting for you, and I've got two perfect girls counting on me. And you're right about one thing—I'd never let 'em down."

-xx-

**Sunday  
West Campus  
Duke University**

Brooke, Rachel and Haley graciously walked towards the West Campus and finally sat down on a bench, careful not to mess up their caps and gowns. Today, the smiles on their faces appeared to be indelible as giggles continued to pour from their lips.

The brunette's petite hands shook the Dom bottle as they popped off the cork. The honey-blonde mother shrieked as the bubbly liquor poured down her best friend's fingers. The stopper flew off, bouncing off the head of the James B. Duke statue. This only served to elicit more laughter from the threesome.

The redhead wasted no time in standing up, grabbing the bottle and taking a swig. "I am absolutely certain that this is what our university's founder had in mind when he thought of higher education!" declared Rachel laughing.

Haley took the bottle next and tossed her head back, downing a big gulp, and effectively surprising herself and her friends. "Oh, God!" she exclaimed, laughing, "I shouldn't be getting tipsy. I'm a mother. I'm a college graduate. I'm...supposed to walk in these five-inch heels without tripping!"

Brooke grabbed the bottle, "Live a little, _Teacher_ Mom," she said, "We are graduating. And today you are not just a mom or a wife or a responsible adult, you're a 22-year-old celebrating the end of an era. Cheers—to four years of laughter, tears, and alcohol."

They each took a sip, "And classes...at least occasionally." Added Rachel with a grin, prompting another fit of laughter.

Once more, they settled down on the bench and stared at the horizon. The gothic styled Duke Chapel was visible from pretty much anywhere on campus. It dawned on them that this was probably the last time they'd have a moment like this.

Haley sighed, "To...the end of something." She pressed the bottle to her lips and took another big gulp and passed it to Rachel, who did the same.

"Well said." Brooke answered simply before taking the bottle from her friend's hands and downing what was left of it.

-xx-

**Sunday**  
**Sarah P. Duke Gardens**  
**Duke University**

The inspirational, long-ass Commencement Speeches had been given. Tassels had moved onto the left side. Caps had been thrown. Duke University's Class of 2014 had been declared officially Graduated.

But more importantly: Lucas E. Scott, Brooklyn P. Davis, Clayton R. Evans, Nathaniel R. Scott, Rachel V. Gatina, Jake N. Jaglieski, and Haley B. James-Jaglieski graduated.

Friends had stood up for them, cheering them on the big day and momentous accomplishment. Unsurprisingly enough the only parents to show up were the ones nobody particularly wanted to see: Dan and Karen Scott (though Karen wasn't all that bad, except for the whole screwing-Keith-Scott-on-the-side thing).

The James were trekking somewhere in America—though Lindsay James-Morello did come down to sit with Emma while her parents graduated. Bradford Evans didn't particularly give a shit. The Gatinas (or rather Addison Montgomery and Derek Gatina since the divorce) were too busy with work. Kenneth and Victoria Davis were surprised their daughter had graduated, but they had their secretaries send the obligatory checks—which Junior Davis happily delivered since he was immensely proud of his little sister. Mr. Jaglieski was pretty sick by then and he couldn't make it.

The Scott Boys had done good—at least in Dan Scott's book. His oldest son was dating billionaire Kenneth Davis' only daughter. His youngest son had been drafted by the NBA, scoring a contract with the LA Lakers. His only daughter—Peyton Scott—would graduate next year.

Both Nate and Luke breathed a visible sigh of relief when their 'rents got into their SUV and drove away—thank _fuckin_' god.

The group of friends stood around, togas open and caps misplaced, taking their last pictures at the Duke Campus. All the classics—the group picture, girls only, boys only— and the family pictures—the Scott brothers, the Jaley+1, the godparents with their goddaughter, Brooke and Junior, and also Brooke and Clay (because those two were siblings and soul mates, and more intricately entwined than could ever be explained).

Brooke threw her arms around Luke's neck and pecked his lips (Haley snapped another picture for posterity). "Can you believe we made it, Broody?"

Luke smiled at her (which was rare, since he usually smirked) and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I always bet on us, Pretty Girl," he said, his blue eyes piercing her hazel ones, "You know that."

"I love you, Lucas Eugene Scott." Brooke's dainty hands clutched him tightly, as if she were afraid to let go.

"I love you, too, Brooklyn Penelope Davis." Luke's visibly more relaxed. They hadn't talked about it. Not really. The future was the big elephant in the room, and it was far easier to avoid it than face it.

"Luke..." Brooke prompted, "What are we gonna do now? I mean, I'm...I've been thinking about heading back to New York. I've got a bunch of designs, and I've been trying to drum up some investors. I don't know, I think I can make it. I can be a one in a million. And it feels like this is my time." she sighed, "But we haven't really discussed the future, not really. All we've done is tap-dance around the subject like crazy. And I don't want to leave us. I don't-I don't want us to be over. I'm not ready for that."

Luke pressed a kiss to her temple and laughed. This seemed to annoy Brooke. The tiny brunette's fist slammed into his ribcage causing him to wince. "C'mon!" she whined, "This is not funny! We're all just going different places. Rae is taking off all on her own to go to B.U. Med School, and Jaley +1 is going to move to NoCal, Clay is dumping me to go represent Nate in LA...and I can deal with that. But I can't deal with us leaving each other." she pulled out a plane ticket (one-way to JFK) from an envelope. "Junior gave me this. He wants me to move back to the city."

"Well, what'd you tell him?"

"I told him that wether I moved back or not wasn't a decision I could make alone. Not without talking to you." Brooke answered, "Because I'm not just blindly looking out for myself anymore. I'm one half of a full relationship. And I actually like it that way."

Luke smiled earnestly, "I think you should go." he answered, "I think you should move to New York—"

"—Luke."

"Let me finish." Luke licked his lips. "I wrote a book, a novel, actually. It's called _Impulse_. I've been sending it out to publishers for a couple of months now. Someone answered yes. They want me. So, today, I was actually planning on asking you to come to New York with me. Because when all my dreams come true, the only person I want next to me is _you_." His thumb brushed off some of the tears that had started pooling at the corner of her eyes, "And because I _know_ Clothes-Over-Bro's is going to be a _huge_ success. And I want to be there with you every step of the way. If you want me to, that is."

Brooke gripped his tie and pulled him down, their lips crashing against each other, melding together like clay. Luke was surprised, but leaned into the kiss happily, lifting her and pressing their bodies together until there was no space between them. "Yes." Brooke answered when they pulled apart, "Yes! Oh my god!" she squealed, "You wrote a book! I can't believe you didn't tell me that, Broody!" she slapped his chest, "I am so ridiculously proud of you right now."

"I'm actually proud of _us_—do you realize that today is our two-year anniversary. Not in sissy way, but in a we-made-it-through-this-without-any-major-drama way. We are actually a stable relationship."

Brooke smiled. "Yes. We are."

_They'd made it through a lot—through far more than any other college couple ever would've made it through. Sure, at most points they'd been their own worst enemies, sabotaging their relationships at most corners. Mistakes were made. Hearts were broken_...

"Auntie B!" cried Emma from Haley's arms. Brooke grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him over to where their friends were standing waiting for them. Emma jumped into her godmother's arms and kissed her cheek. Luke circled his arms around the brunette's waist stuck his tongue out at Emma playfully, eliciting more giggles from the toddler.

Haley smiled at the sight, "C'mon. I feel like getting some food."

Nate smirked his infamous Scott smirk. "How about Al's," he suggested.

This prompted a chuckle from the group. Rachel jumped up on Clay's back, "You think we go there too much?"

"Not at all," Clay shook his head, grinning his best lopsided grin, "Seriously, though—for closure or whatever...one last time?"

"Closing time, one last call for alcohol!" Jake singsunged, mimicking the Semisonic song.

Luke shoved him playfully, "Sure. Lets do it."

He wrapped an arm around Brooke's shoulders, and Brooke grabbed linked her fingers through his, "Well, I know who I want to take me home."

..._and somewhere along the line, families had been formed. A bond between these seven people that had maintained old friendships and birthed some new ones_. _A hard-to-resist hold that pulled them to one another. _

Something that felt..._unbreakable_.

-xx-

**AN: So. This is it. The End. I've thought about a sequel—life after college and all that. Then I thought I'd finish out my other story and retire as a writer. Then I realized I don't make decisions easily so I just don't fucking know. Feel free to comment with any thoughts on the subject. It's been a great ride, homies. Shout outs below...**

_**Thank Yous:**_ **SouthernBellBrooke **(first one to ever review this story)**, bella, juicetroop82, Brucas10, Otumoshi, Hannah, BrucasisBest, brucasbunny76, brucas ftw, Lovemesomedamon, dianehermans **(an always hopeful BLer who always rooted for them)**, OTH-Brucas-love, BRUCAS-EQUALS-LOVE, BRUCASFTW, brucasfanatic, Brooke. Davis. Fan, Brooke. Davis. Fan., TrueLoveScott, Upcoming Star, Julchen1515, Raptus Mind **(your reviews have always inspired my lazy ass to work on this story)**, perfectcouples, BrookeLucasForever, kayluhh2010, redcoloredrose, PolarOpposites, Alison Ireland, britt, p0line, supergirl818, Josh **(never thought guys would be reading this)**, pam **(you also kick my ass into gear with your reviews. i owe you a much bigger thank you, but—ironically—the words elude me right now)**, brittany, X, Brucas Reviewer, Lo, whoyouarexo, xXalienatedXx **(another person whose words always give me some extra inspiration)**, SOHA ASALAMI **(a reader from London, which is awesome)**, abigail, hjb13, onlyyoujarly, sarah e **('cause you seemed to catch every minute references in the chapters)**, kay0340 **(who went back to the beginning to read it all over again)**, Ally, Sara **(your comments always cheered me up)**, .Xo, ILoveSarahSophia, koumi11 **(aka artemi, 'cause she kinda loved clay in this fix)**, Mel, fggt16, fallenasleep, BrucasisBest, NicoleDavis92x, loveBLforever, Oth-VD, Nan, clauita, brucas82forever, brookenlucas4eva03, 1treehillislove23, brucasbunny76, miserella **(an LP-shipper who read this, at least a little)**, cheerygirl333, emmasue2009, evan 84 **(who also had an eye for the details in this story)**, alysef **(thanks for always telling to take my time)**, Alex **(dude always kept it real)**, craxygirl54, D **(who called me a douche—i promise the BOV update is coming)**, superstar, emmasue2009, The Pris, JustReckless, Ashybee,viky, allison**, and I'm sure I forgot some people (feel free to call me out about it if you review), but **EVERYONE** added something to the story, so major thanks and much love to you all.

—j


	37. Breakin' All The Rules

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…**

**The Rules Of Attraction**

_Breakin' All The Rules_

_"Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page."  
—Cornelia Funke_

-xx-

So, the sequel to Rules of Attraction is up. It's titled **Breakin' All The Rules**. If anyone's still interested, feel free to check it out.

—j


End file.
